NaCTSO - Who we are, what we do
The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) is a police unit co-located within the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI.) To achieve national delivery on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) NaCTSO trains, tasks and coordinates a nationwide network of specialist police advisers known as Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) whose primary role is to provide help and guidance on all aspects of counter terrorism protective security across a variety of sectors.
Our staff offer specialist advice regarding the security of explosives and pre-cursor chemicals (including fertilisers), pathogens and toxins, radiological sources and other toxic chemicals. We also provide guidance in relation to business continuity, designing out vehicle borne terrorism, the protection of crowded places and reducing opportunities for terrorism through environmental design.
Individuals and groups continue to aspire to attack the UK and our ways of life, many have resorted to the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to achieve their aims. In the UK the robust security regime that is applied to both commercial and military explosives means that terrorists have been forced to either make their own or to smuggle them in from abroad. In fact, over 90% of terrorist attacks in the UK have used Home Made Explosive (HME).
The devices used can take many forms and in recent times have featured various interpretations of home-made explosive (HME), often based around commonly used chemicals such as Hydrogen Peroxide. These basic chemicals used in the production of HME are referred to by the police and security services as ‘Precursor Chemicals’.
NaCTSO has worked closely with trade associations such as the Chemical Business Association (CBA) and the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) to highlight the potential for misuse of these chemicals. Together we have developed and introduced a series of measures, aimed at all levels of business, to raise awareness about the threat and improve the security of chemicals in the workplace. We have also encouraged businesses to be more aware of their customer and visitor profiles, in terms of payment methods, delivery addresses, amounts or combinations of materials or significant changes to an established customer profile.
If you require specific advice on protective security then you should contact your local police crime reduction officer in the first instance.
For further information on NaCTSO see our site
