LoDid you notice City of London and North Yorkshire Police officers in Gibraltar this week?

The officers, who are from the team responsible for leading Project Servator across the UK and Gibraltar, have been on the Rock this week to deliver specialist tactical training to 12 Royal Gibraltar Police officers.

Project Servator is a policing tactic used to disrupt a wide range of criminal activity, including terrorism, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.

First introduced into British policing in 2014, it has since been adopted by 27 UK police forces, including the RGP in June 2018. 

Project Servator officers are specially-trained to spot tell-tale signs that someone may be carrying out hostile reconnaissance – information gathering that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.

Working together, teams pop up in areas on highly visible and unpredictable deployments to disrupt criminal behaviour, identify criminal intent and reassure the public. 

Although Project Servator deployments are different to normal police operations, if you see one, there’s nothing to worry about. They are designed to be unpredictable and can happen anywhere at any time.

All twelve RGP officers passed the intensive week-long cause, which included written and practical assessments, as well as high-visibility patrols each day.

This latest training is being delivered by Police Sergeant Dan Tulloch and Police Constable Steve Davis from the National Project Servator Team, and PC Andy Thompson from North Yorkshire Police.

PS Tulloch said: “Project Servator is really important in a place like Gibraltar. It’s essential that officers here are upskilled and keep up to date with UK policing tactics. It’s all about being proactive, not reactive, using a range of police resources to disrupt those with criminal intent.

“Project Servator officers are trained to spot the tell-tale signs of criminality. It’s about training officers to be vigilant and encouraging members of the community to report suspicious behaviour to us.”

Superintendent Paul Chipolina, who coordinates Project Servator activity in the RGP, said: “Our officers continue to receive specialist training throughout the year, enabling the RGP to continue with intelligence-led and unpredictable police deployments to disrupt criminality and terrorism.

“Since adopting this policing tactic in 2018, we have enjoyed an excellent close working relationship with our colleagues at the National Project Servator Team based in the City of London, who have supported us this week in delivering the latest round of specialist training. It’s important that we continue creating a network of vigilance and a difficult operating environment for terrorists who may be considering their targets or individuals looking to commit crime.

“Each of us has a part to play in keeping Gibraltar safe, by being alert not alarmed, trusting our instincts and reporting anything that doesn’t feel right to security staff or a police officer, whether in person, online or by calling 999 in an emergency.”

You have a vital role to play in helping RGP by reporting anything that doesn’t feel right, for example an unattended item or someone acting suspiciously. Report suspicious activity immediately to police on 200 72500 or 999 in an emergency.

For more information on this policing tactic visit www.police.gi/information/counter-terrorism/project-servator