This week Parliament approved emergency legislation to stop the automatic early release of potentially dangerous criminals including those in prison for terrorism offences. This follows recent high-profile cases of radicalised extremists leaving jail only to continue to commit horrendous acts of violence or conspire to do so.
The arrest of a 20-year-old man in Worthing earlier this week on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation, or instigation of an act of terrorism is a timely reminder that whilst we sleep our fantastic police and security forces are constantly battling to keep us safe from the constant terrorist threat. Without pre-judging the guilt or innocence of the unnamed individual it is exactly this sort of intelligence led proactive policing that means the actual instances of terrorist attack are relatively low. We hear about the horrendous attacks on London Bridge or the Manchester Arena but of course we hear virtually nothing about the scores of potential attacks that are thwarted and for that we owe a great debt of gratitude to our security personnel and police.
There is no need to be unduly alarmed by the arrest. There is no evidence that Worthing is in any way the focus of any ‘terrorist cell’ and the lead was taken by national counter-terrorism police, but it is a reminder that we all need to be vigilant about the terror threat around us without disproportionately changing our lifestyles which would cede some form of victory to those who would do us harm.
On a brighter note I had catch-ups with two local organisations who do so much to support our most vulnerable residents, Citizens Advice and the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust which delivers mental health services across Sussex.
What we used to call the CAB, now based at the Shoreham Centre which I opened a few years ago are busier than ever. We discussed a wide range of challenges from delays in benefits, treatment of council tax arrears and the need for ‘breathing space’ protocols to give people a temporary break when trying to deal with debts. Citizens Advice have been very helpful in working with me and the local Benefits Office to be a s flexible as possible when dealing with complicated benefit cases and making sure everyone is claiming the money they are entitled to and I look forward to holding further joint events with them.
Despite the huge challenges facing our mental health services and the Government’s continuing efforts to achieve ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health I am always impressed by the work of our local mental health trust and its energetic Chief Executive Sam Allen. We discussed my new www.adurandworthingmentalhelp.org.uk/ website which has been going down well, the particular problems with school age children accessing services and the Sussex Recovery College facility which the Trust has developed. This is a free service offering a comprehensive range of courses for adults of all ages with mental health related challenges, their relatives and carers and staff and is well worth a look at www.sussexrecovery.nhs.net
