Law & disorder
Safety fears for communities over no deal
THE UK is due to leave Europe at the end of this month, deal or no deal, and it’s time for a reality check.
So, step forward Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Campbell and Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr.
These senior officers sent shockwaves through Holyrood yesterday by setting out what our over-stretched police force is gearing up for.
MSPs heard how extremists could use Brexit to incite violence. They were warned we might see old prisons brought back into use to cope with public disorder.
Most damning of all, senior police warned elected politicians are making their job harder.
When police call for responsible language, one man comes to mind – Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He is among the worst of our political leaders for careless or inflammatory statements designed to drive a wedge through our society.
Tory leaders claimed the country has had enough of experts. They ignore warnings from senior police officers at their peril.
A NO-DEAL Brexit will “siginificantly impact” on the police’s ability to keep Scots safe, one of the country’s most senior officers warned yesterday.
Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Campbell said leaving EU law enforcement agency Europol and the loss of the European Arrest Warrant would make it harder to trace criminals.
Outlining 36 policing tools that would go if the UK crashes out of Europe on October 31, he said: “The model we are moving towards come a no-deal scenario will significantly impact on our ability to keep the communities of Scotland safe.”
In dramatic evidence at Holyrood, Police Scotland bosses also told shocked MSPs: Extremists could use Brexit unrest to incite violence Intemperate language by politicians has made policing more difficult
Police Scotland may use old and disused prisons if Brexit leads to public disorder
DCS Campbell explained that Police Scotland execute about 150 European Arrest Warrants each year, with somewhere between 1400 and 1500 executed by officers from across the UK.
He added: “With European Arrest Warrants, if we’re putting hands on someone across the EU states, it’s sometimes days before we can bring them back. We are talking months with reference to the extradition process, so again, slower, more bureaucratic, but we will still have the powers and that’s what we’ve been preparing for.
“Come October 31, we will leave Europol, we will physically leave that building and thereafter, we will have to apply to get back in.”
Meanwhile, Police Scotland deputy chief constable Will Kerr warned some of the language being used by politicians was making it harder to “police the environment”.
He said: “The importance of temperate and responsible language and behaviour from those in positions of civic leadership cannot be overstated.”
On the risk of extremism, DCC Kerr added: “At a time of political uncertainty, political fragility perhaps, there’s also a risk
that those on the extremes are going to look to exploit that situation.
“We’ve seen some of the evidence of that recently.”
Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: “The evidence from senior officers today suggests there is a serious risk of a breakdown in law and order as a result of irresponsible plans for a no-deal Brexit.
“Boris Johnson’s bus didn’t say, ‘More criminals go free’, on the side of it. It’s time to change course and ditch Brexit to protect our communities.”