Abstract

PREVENT - part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST – is the principle counter-radicalisation policy designed to tackle the full spectrum of terrorist threat(s). Importantly, in June 2011 PREVENT was reformatted around the notion of ‘risk’; however, there is a dearth of empirical research that has examined the relationship between PREVENT and risk. This paper presents an analysis of PREVENT policing, in terms of how risk is understood, as well as how PREVENT police operations are delivered, perceived and experienced by those tasked with counter-terrorism on the ground. The paper draws upon qualitative interviews conducted with PREVENT police officers, and others drawn from interconnecting security institutions. Secondly, the paper considers the theoretical work(s) of Michel Foucault, Ulrich Beck, and Anthony Giddens as measured against the findings. The paper concludes by positing PREVENT policing cannot be reduced to a single-factor risk perspective; rather, a more nuanced account of PREVENT is required, theoretically, and empirically.