National Anti-terrorism campaign

Dear Sir or Madam,

British Transport Police have initiated a campaign of awareness
against a perceived terrorist threat.

This is arguably misrepresentative of any imminent danger so as to
cause unnecessary concern to many community groups, particularly
those already segregated by age, racial, social and economic
disparity.

Through its depiction of a typical town centre and a suburban
street with a dustbin full of chemicals, it presents in to the
public mind the idea that a bomb could detonate or a terrorist be
bomb making within the immediate locale and urging the public to
contact a hotline to report anything suspicious.

If this is a national campaign then these adverts will be being
displayed in all cities, implying terrorists and bomb makers are in
many / all of the cities advertised therein.

Whilst I am aware that there is need to police and monitor our
country to safeguard our state and freedom, I would wish to refer
you to an extract from the book Risk, the science and politics of
fear by Dan Gardner in which he states that 'In the last century
fewer than 20 terrorist attacks killed more than a hundred people.
Even the September 11th attacks [ ] killed less than a fifth of
Americans murdered every year by ordinary criminals.'

As such please could you please publish actual statistics on the
probability of terrorists being in any one neighbourhood and the
risk actual of being a victim to a terrorist activity in this
country and how this is worked out? (This being based upon evidence
and resultant arrest of suspected terrorist plotters actual post
September 11th 2001 and the advent of the War on Terror) As you
will appreciate, this requested information will substantiate the
purpose of the advertising campaign.

I am sure once given the facts and if we truly are at national risk
from such threats then having the information actual will certainly
help heighten the response from the public to the hotline number as
you originally sought.

Yours faithfully,

Savage