No-deal Brexit will put public safety at risk and reduce police capacity in UK, leaders warn government

Police commissioners call on government to urgently start contingency planning for expensive and inferior alternatives to EU systems

Home Affairs Correspondent

Monday 06 August 2018 19:25

‘These shared tools have saved many lives,' the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ Brexit working group says

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A no-deal Brexit will put public safety at risk and reduce policing capacity in Britain, leaders of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) have warned the government.

In a letter they said the loss of key EU databases, the European arrest warrant system and full Europol membership “could pose significant risks to our local communities”.

“These shared tools, measures, initiatives and capabilities which have been developed over the last 40 years of cooperation across the EU have saved many lives,” said the document, which was seen by The Independent.

“Considerable additional resource would be required for policing to operate using non-EU tools and that such tools would be suboptimal – potentially putting operational efficiency and public safety at risk.

“It is also recognised that recruitment, vetting and training of staff to use these tools would take a substantial amount of time.”

The letter, which was sent to the Home Office last week, said ongoing Brexit negotiations come at a time when the threat posed by foreign offenders targeting the UK from abroad is increasing.

Britain risks losing access to systems including Europol, the European arrest warrant and Schengen Information System II (SIS II) – a huge database containing information on terrorists, criminals, missing people and objects, to which the police say there is “no alternative”.

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Michel Barnier: UK government needs dose of “realism” about EU security cooperation post-Brexit

British officers checked it 539 million times in 2017 alone, with their equipment currently searching SIS II and the police national criminal database simultaneously.

At the end of 2017, there were 76.5 million alerts in relation to people and objects on the system, including 1.2 million from the UK.

The UK could also be excluded from the European arrest warrant system, which drives the extradition of up to 10,000 foreign offenders every year as well as allowing British criminals to be brought back to face trial.

The government has proposed a security treaty that it claims would allow information sharing to continue, but its refusal to be governed by the European Court of Justice could block transfers because of data protection laws.

Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, said the UK would be locked out of policing and security databases in June, adding: “If you leave this ecosystem you lose the benefits of this cooperation.”

He said that while there would still be some security cooperation, it would “rely on effective and reciprocal exchanges, but not on access to EU-only or Schengen-only databases”.

The APCC’s Brexit working group, which contains Conservative, Labour and independent commissioners, said 32 law enforcement and national security measures are currently used on a daily basis in the UK.

“Unless the government is able to negotiate the retention of these measures following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, police and law enforcement agencies face a significant loss of operational capacity,” the group’s letter read.

“A ‘no-deal’ scenario could cause delays and challenges for UK policing and justice agencies.”

It called on the home secretary to prioritise access to EU-wide systems, while developing “effective contingency plans” for a no-deal Brexit and give the work the funding needed.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

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1/8The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Post-Brexit immigration

workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns.

PA

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Customs union

A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that “Brexit means Brexit” and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UK’s economic outlook become clearer.

Alamy

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Northern Ireland-Irish border

Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Party’s coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a “specific solution” would need to be found.

Getty

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Transition period

Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs.

EPA

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Rights of EU citizens living the UK

The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later.

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The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Future trade agreement (with the EU)

Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union.

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The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Future trade agreements (internationally)

The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period.

EPA

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU

Financial services

Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period.

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The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said Europe-wide systems had made British officers “better at protecting the public” and improved their response to crime and terrorism.

“For every one person arrested on a UK issued European arrest warrant, the UK arrests eight people on warrants issued by other member states,” said deputy assistant commissioner Richard Martin.

“It is in the interests of both sides to negotiate an arrangement that allows for continued close working, whether as part of existing mechanisms or negotiated alternatives.

“Without such arrangements, both UK police and EU member states will lose capabilities including – identifying criminals and missing persons who cross our borders, detaining and swiftly surrendering suspects under EAWs, quickly identifying previous history of offending or the sharing biometric data.”

The NPCC said a small team is currently working on contingency plans in the event that access to some or all European systems is lost.

But Mr Martin warned: “The contingency measures we are considering will be slower and less effective, and ultimately will reduce the ability to identify risk and prevent harm on both sides of the channel.”

The letter came after the Home Affairs Committee condemned both UK and EU negotiators for putting the safety and security of their citizens at risk by refusing to cross political “red lines”.

MPs said the UK was on course for a “catastrophic” Brexit security deal that could see criminals and terrorists go free, threatening the ability to prevent serious crime and effectively secure borders.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “There is widespread recognition that the UK and EU can most effectively combat security threats when we work together. It is important we maintain operational capabilities after Brexit – and we will continue to make this case to the European Commission.

“We are confident that an ambitious agreement on future security cooperation can be reached – but it is the duty of any responsible government to prepare for every eventuality, including no-deal.

“With that in mind, we are working closely with operational partners on contingency planning so we can ensure the safety and security of our citizens in all scenarios.”