communiity policing and terrorism

Terrorists intent on striking civilians to induce fear and spread propaganda for Islamic State (IS) have no lack of soft targets in cities such as Brussels. As airlines and airports improve security measures to prevent attacks on planes, for example, they create queues and crowded areas at the entrances to airports or at airline check-in desks. Similarly, it is almost impossible to install sufficiently effective security measures to make metros and buses secure against bombers. In some cities, such as Delhi, airport-style scanners are used at entrances to metro stations. Yet these simply create long queues and crowds of delayed passengers. In Europe, despite the frequent terrorist attacks over the past year—including the attacks in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists and journalists in January last year, and on cafés and a concert hall in November—it appears security most depends on those in authority gathering good intelligence to foil attacks before they are launched.

A key factor is gaining the trust of local communities. Where they have efficient and trusting relations with police, intelligence can be strikingly effective at preventing attacks. In Britain, for example, officials suggest that many would-be terrorist incidents have been foiled in the past couple of years because of information passed from minority communities to officials. The problem in Belgium appears to be that the police and other authorities are simply unable to gather enough information. This is especially true in areas of Brussels such as Molenbeek which are heavily populated by migrants from north Africa and the Middle East.

Disruption to travel in Europe, by air, train and more, is a certainty, and is likely to continue for some days. Police and others will need to prepare against more possible attacks—co-ordinated or opportunist, to build on the shock now felt in Europe—and see whether any conspirators choose this moment to flee across borders. But a certain weary regularity is also becoming apparent. Shock is followed by public dismay, defiance and resignation. Terror alerts are raised and daily routines are disrupted, as analysts point out that living with the threat of further assaults is inevitable.The fact that Salah Abdeslam could remain on the run, hidden in central Brussels, from November until March, suggests that families, friends and neighbours served as a support network for him, and failed to tip off police. Matters are not helped by a political culture that is suspicious of intelligence and security work, and political fragmentation that afflicts all aspects of the Belgian government.