There are two key processes which pave the way towards actual terrorism: radicalization and recruitment, and therefore it is important to identify, prevent, isolate and contain them before it is too late. Many European Union security and policing strategies see community policing as a vital tool for local counter-terrorism and stress the importance of intelligence exchange. According to the EU Action Plan on combating terrorism (2006) one of the means is “to promote community policing through improved training; task undertaken by CEPOL”. But what concrete measures are expected from the police and what is possible for the police to deliver?

Preventing radicalization and recruitment and extremism in general is a huge challenge for the police. This volume is designed for use as a key text for the CEPOL seminar Community Policing Meets New Challenges: Preventing Radicalization and Recruitment (50A+B). Beyond this it is intended for a wider audience and it is hoped that it will provoke thoughts and debate and make a constructive contribution to the development of European community policing, which seems to be more important than ever in the future.