Commuters and visitors to Manchester City Centre will see more frequent Project Servator deployments

Visitors to the centre of Manchester will see more frequent Project Servator deployments as GMP welcomes them back to the City Centre.

The police tactic aims to disrupt hostile reconnaissance – the information-gathering terrorists and other criminals need to do to help them plan.

It has been running in the centre of Manchester for two years, and at Manchester Airport since 2018, covering iconic sites and encompassing a raft of tactics which are used by officers to disrupt criminal activity.

Project Servator is different to regular policing, because the officers involved are specially-trained to spot tell-tale signs that someone may be carrying out hostile reconnaissance and planning or preparing to commit a crime.

Click here to read all the latest updates from Greater Manchester Police

We include the transport network on our #ProjectServator deployments. Here city neighbourhood & spec ops #TransportUnit staff are at Deansgate @MCRMetrolink by @mcr_central chatting to the public pic.twitter.com/t8lXiN1YOt

— GMP Manchester City Centre (@GMPCityCentre) June 14, 2021

Project Servator deployments can happen anywhere and at any time – they are designed to be unpredictable. Officers are operating across the city centre and transport network, and deploy with key partners, including British Transport Police.

But it’s not just specially-trained officers that have a role to play in disrupting hostile reconnaissance. Project Servator relies on police working with the community to build a network of vigilance.

For anyone who has been to Wembley for the Euros, you may have seen it in action there.

Today #ProjectServator is playing centre forward in our policing of the @EURO2020 #EnglandvsCroatia at #Wembley

Plain clothes officers, uniform, CCTV and @BTPFirearmsUnit in the team pic.twitter.com/7Di42JzoD5

— BTP London (@BTPLondon) June 13, 2021

In a news release issued by Greater Manchester,  Chief Inspector Roger Worrall said: 

"We know it's been a difficult time for everyone recently and we don’t want people to worry if they see extra officers out and about.

“Project Servator is very much business as usual, but we need the support of the public and local businesses. They play a vital role in helping to make Manchester a difficult place for terrorists and other criminals to operate.

Our Firearms colleagues & other specialist officers regularly support our #ProjectServator deployments which can occur at any time & any place - where do you think this one was? If you see them again please stop for a chat so they can tell you more about Servator.@JPRuffle pic.twitter.com/D6APnpqzme

— GMP Manchester City Centre (@GMPCityCentre) June 12, 2021

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