No-deal Brexit: UK police forced to divert officers to new unit working out how to cope

'Our collective ability to map terrorist and criminal networks across Europe would be reduced'

Police leaders are being forced to divert precious resources to working out how to cope with protests, disorder and the sudden loss of access to vital information in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

One of the UK’s most senior officers warned fallback plans agreed by chief constables this week were still “slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective” than the systems currently used.

The Home Office has allocated £2m for a dedicated new unit of 50 police officers and staff, who will prepare for the possibility of public disorder, protests and disruption on transport and at borders, and re-learn how to use outdated methods of accessing information that is currently accessible via shared databases.

Simon Kempton, operational lead for the Police Federation of England and Wales, said it was “highly concerning that with Brexit only six months away we still don’t know what the policing landscape will look like,” adding: “The government – as ever – needs to get its house in order to avoid Brexit being at best a bureaucratic nightmare and at worse a dangerous situation created by its inability to provide certainty.”

He told The Independent that both Brexit planning and the projected reality was adding further strain onto forces that are already dealing with a huge rise in 999 calls, violent crime, the terror threat and government cuts.

“My worry is that the officers used to staff this unit will need to be diverted from other already stretched areas, thus creating more capacity and back-filling issues,” Mr Kempton said.

“There have been discussions about cancelling officers’ rest days and putting a moratorium on leave in the weeks and even months immediately pre and post 29 March … Planning and resourcing around [potential disorder] will put further strain on a service which is already struggling from years of cuts and a lack of investment and support.”

Police say there is 'no alternative' to the Schengen Information System (PA)

Britain risks losing access to 40 tools, 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”.

It may also be locked out of the European Criminal Records Information System and Eurojust if an agreement to allow continued cooperation is not struck.

The EU’s chief negotiatior, Michel Barnier, said in June that the UK would lose access to the European arrest warrant and no longer have a managing role on Europol.

He said that while the EU was open to exchanging intelligence with the UK, it could not be based “on access to EU-only or Schengen-only databases”.

Sara Thornton, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said: “Existing EU tools allow us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU – they make us better at protecting the public.

“The alternatives we are planning to use, where they exist, are without exception slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective.”

Under current systems it would take an average of six days to check if a foreign national has criminal convictions in their home country, but in the event of no-deal that would extend to an estimated 66 days.

For every one person currently arrested on a UK-issued European arrest warrant, the UK arrests eight people on warrants issued by other member states.

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

Ms Thornton said the loss of UK contributions would also be felt in Europe, with Britain currently one of the biggest intelligence contributors to Europol and leading half of its operational coordination meetings.

“We have agreed a model that minimises the risks and makes best use of already pressured police resources,” she added. “It does not predict a worst-case scenario but it does prepare for it.”

The contingency plans were agreed by all chief constables in England and Wales, and the new unit will also work with Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

They will see UK law enforcement revert to use of international police tools through Interpol, bilateral channels and Council of Europe conventions to enable criminals to be extradited, trace missing people and share intelligence about crime and terrorism.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin, the NPCC lead for Brexit, said police “remain hopeful” that a deal will be struck allowing continued access to the instruments.

“Criminals don’t respect borders,” he added, warning that the UK and EU may no longer be able to share real-time alerts for wanted persons, including serious criminals.

“We would respond less swiftly to alerts for missing people … and our collective ability to map terrorist and criminal networks across Europe and bring those responsible to justice would be reduced.”

Last week, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick revealed her force was preparing for potential disorder around Dover, and leaders say they have conducted threat assessments and are preparing for all “possible outcomes”.

Earlier this year, the Home Affairs Committee warned that Britain was on course for a "catastrophic" Brexit security deal that could see criminals and terrorists go free.

MPs condemned both UK and EU negotiators for endangering the security of their citizens by refusing to cross political “red lines” and called on the UK to submit to European Court of Justice jurisdiction.

Then in August, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) wrote to the government warning a no-deal Brexit would put public safety at risk and reduce policing capacity in Britain.

“The right deal for everyone needs to be agreed as soon as possible,” said APCC Brexit lead Matthew Scott.