Security partnerships
Working together to keep you safe
While most of our passengers will be familiar with our screening processes as they arrive and depart, it is important to note that these are not the only procedures in place to help keep passengers, staff and the airport safe. We work with our policing and security partners, airlines and airport community, using the latest equipment, technology and techniques to tackle criminality and disruption.
Our passengers also have a key role to play in reporting anything unusual or suspicious to help keep the airport safe and secure. This can be done by reporting to the Police on 101, telling a police officer or any member of airport staff . We will investigate immediately.
Our security partners:
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The government website provides more information on the role of Border Force at airports.
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A dedicated Avon and Somerset Police team are permanently based at the airport, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Like any other police unit, the team’s focus is on the safety and security of everyone on site and they work closely with airport staff and other business partners to ensure this.
The officers who make up the team are highly trained and are able to deal with anything from a disruptive passenger to responding to a major threat to an aircraft. They work closely with their Avon and Somerset Police colleagues and are able to utilise all of the assets at the force’s disposal, including police dog units and armed officers.
You will regularly see officers patrolling through the passenger concourse areas while they also take part in unpredictable Project Servator deployments. If you need the assistance of a police officer while you are at Bristol Airport, please feel to approach one and they will be more than happy to help. Alternatively, contact any airport official who will be able to help call them to your location.In an emergency, always call 999. If the matter is not urgent and you’d like to contact the Airport Policing Team you can contact them via one of the forms on the Avon and Somerset website.
Counter Terrorism Officers
Many of the police officers working at Bristol Airport are members of the Counter Terrorism Policing South West regional collaboration. They do not wear uniform but are identifiable by their police badge worn on a lanyard.
These officers are here to assist the public in the same way as their uniformed colleagues. The team operates all over the site. They may ask you some basic questions about your travel plans. This is standard procedure and the public should not be alarmed. These officers also have the power to detain people under the Terrorism Act 2000.
If you have any questions about the role of Counter Terrorism Officers at Bristol Airport, please contact the Airport Policing Team.
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Project Servator is the name given to unpredictable, highly visible armed and plain clothes/undercover police deployments carried out by Avon and Somerset Police and other police forces designed to disrupt a wide range of criminal activity across the UK.
The tactics aim to identify and disrupt hostile reconnaissance – the information gathering a criminal does when planning to commit a criminal act, including terrorist attacks.
Avon and Somerset Police officers are experienced and specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may be carrying out hostile reconnaissance or preparing to commit a crime. They work closely with security staff at Bristol Airport to look out for those signs and take action.
What you will see
Specially trained uniformed police officers will turn up unannounced at various locations to carry out deployments. These will be unpredictable, so they could happen at any time and last for different amounts of time.
The officers will be supported by other assets and security measures – some you’ll be able to see and some you won’t – such as plain clothed officers, police dogs, armed officers and the airport’s CCTV operators. Vehicle checkpoints are also often carried out on roads leading to the airport while Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is also used.
As part of the deployments, officers will hand out leaflets explaining what Project Servator is, while you may also see the initiative highlighted on the airport’s digital screens.
Project Servator on social media
Avon and Somerset police officers also engage with the online community, sharing information about Project Servator and its successes. On Twitter, follow #ProjectServator.
Should I be concerned if I see a Project Servator deployment happening?
No – the police are there to keep you safe. The police encourage the public to speak to officers during deployments and they’ll be happy to explain what they’re doing and answer any questions you have.
Working together
The police work closely with Bristol Airport, its security team and other businesses and retailers based on site. The police rely on their support and vigilance to ensure their tactics in the fight against crime are successful.
The police have a training initiative for security and retail staff to help protect the public by ensuring they know how to spot suspicious activity, and how to report it.
How you can help
You can play a vital role by being vigilant when you are out and about and reporting anything that doesn’t feel right. You’ll never get in trouble for reporting a genuine concern, and the police will always take your report seriously – whether it’s an unattended item or someone acting suspiciously.
Don’t leave it to someone else to report it.
- Tell a police officer or member of security or airport staff
Fill in an online form - Call the confidential Anti Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321
- In an emergency, always call 999
- The police also ask you to remain vigilant when you're out and about and to follow national ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) guidance.
- Tell a police officer or member of security or airport staff
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ICTS carry out regular but random security patrols, 24 hours a day.
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CPNI are leaders in security, providing resources, guidance and expert advice to help protect and keep businesses secure from external threats.
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