What is Operation Plato? Police terror code word declared in Manchester synagogue stabbing

After a suspected terrorist attack at a synagogue in Manchester police have raised the alarm on Operation Plato, as Daily Star explains what this means for officers

Police in Manchester have declared Operation Plato following a suspected terror attack at a synagogue. Two people have died while the suspect is believed to be dead after being shot by police on Thursday (October 2).

Greater Manchester Police said the attack took place just after 9:30am on Thursday, coinciding with celebrations of Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday. Officers arrived at the scene and shot the suspect.

The force said he is believed to be dead but it “cannot currently be confirmed due to safety issues surround suspicious items on his person”. Since then, a “major incident” has been declared by officers, as security is stepped up massively in the Crumpsall area of the city. However, officers have also declared Operation Plato following the incident, but what is it?

According to countert terrorism police, Operation Plato is a pre-arranged set of responses carried out by emergency services in the wake of large-scale terrorist attacks. This includes “marauding terrorist attacks”, which are fast-moving and violent incident where perpetrators are moving through an area with an aim to kill or injure as many people as possible.

Police respond to such attacks by declaring the operation open, which alerts other emergency services such as the ambulance service to begin their protocols for a major attack. In Manchester itself, when Operation Plato is triggered, a total of 16 different bodies must be contacted, including the fire service and the military.

As well as this, the area surrounding the incident is eventually placed on lockdown, meaning no one can come in or out of the locality. This is done to ensure the number of casualties is kept to a minimum whilst also allowing officers to track the movements of the attackers faster and act quicker.

Lockdowns have helped to speed up police responses in the past, including the tragic London Bridge and Borough Market attacks that ravaged the capital back in 2017. By placing the area on lockdown, the attacker would have been delayed in finding victims to kill, while also protecting anyone who may be unaware of the incident taking place around them.

In Manchester, Operation Plato has been declared on two separate occasions before. Back in 2017, Plato was triggered in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people and injured hundreds more. But failings were raised when Greater Manchester Police said it had not initially inform other services of the potential surge in casualties, the BBC said.

Plato was once again triggered following a stabbing spree in the city’s Arndale shopping centre in October 2019, after five people were injured, according to the Manchester Evening News. The response came after a man was seen stabbing people “randomly” around one section of the centre, causing many to flee.

However, thanks to the lessons learned due to the Manchester Arena attack, Greater Manchester Police immediately notified emergency services to be on standby for a large number of people needing treatment. The warning was stood down a few hours later.

In the wake of the attack at the synagogue, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that security will be stepped up across all synagogues across the country in response to the stabbings. He added: “We will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe.”

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