Officers specially trained to spot the signs that people are planning criminal activity have been on patrol at Stansted Airport.
Stansted Community Policing Team has been working alongside Essex Police's firearms and dog units as part of the national Project Servator initiative.
Unpredictable, high-visibility patrols have taken place at the main terminal building and in and around the airport's bus and train stations.
The aim is to reassure the public, deter and disrupt criminal activity and encourage the reporting of any suspicious or unusual activity.
PC Caroline Clarke, Essex Police's Servator coordinator, said: "Servator deployments see the police, our partners, businesses and the public all working together to create a hostile environment for criminals to operate in.
"We can pop up anywhere at any time day or night, all year-round. We work with Border Force and neighbouring police forces, and use a variety of resources including drones and the OpenGate weapons detection system.
"Officers are trained to spot key indicators that reveal people may not be in areas for legitimate reasons.
"We have apprehended people who can’t explain why they’re carrying large amounts of money, gathered intelligence that has led directly to the downfall of organised criminal gangs, and 44 per cent of our stop searches have positive outcomes.
"It’s an effective way of countering many different forms of criminality."
Stansted Airport is one of several high-footfall areas in Essex where Servator patrols have taken place.
The airport has its own police station and dedicated police team.
PC Clarke said engaging with the public is a key part of the deployments, and assured people not be concerned about the increased police presence.
She said: "We want the public to be our eyes and ears – if they see anything that makes them feel uneasy, we want them to contact us.
"We’d always rather be called and not needed than not called. People have good instincts. If you’re going to the same place regularly, you may spot something that we need to know about."
Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan, joined the last Servator deployment and said it was "essential" for the force to be visible.
She said: "It’s important that people arriving at Stansted - some potentially visiting the UK for the first time - see the friendly and engaging face of Essex Police.
"However, when there are issues, whether that’s disorder or crime, we react quickly and appropriately to demonstrate that behaviour isn’t tolerated in Essex.
"How we police our transport hubs should be representative of what we deliver across the county.
READ MORE
- Unlicensed private hire driver fined after illegally operating in Uttlesford
- Two Saffron Walden men arrested for role in county lines gang
"The team have been talking to people and they were happy to chat and responded to our requests to be vigilant.
"But we also saw people who didn’t respond as well to the police being around and we talked to them to find out why they were here.
"Servator uses nationally recognised tactics to deter criminals and with the launch of live facial recognition later this month, we’re looking at how we can work smarter and use the two together to prevent crime."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here