Lord Willy Bach with Susannah Hancock (CEO APCC), Martyn Underhill and Matthew Scott
Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lord Willy Bach, met with the Home Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday, accompanied by fellow PCCs Matthew Scott and Martyn Underhill, to discuss policing and Britain leaving the European Union.
The three Commissioners are leading on all Brexit-related matters for the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
In what Willy Bach described as a useful meeting, they talked about the contingency plans for ‘No Deal’ and ‘Deal’, focussing on securing the best possible outcomes for policing and safety in UK communities throughout the Brexit process.
They discussed funding – both in relation to individual forces and national projects, seeking assurance from the Home Secretary that funding could be secured to ensure sustainability of police operations, regardless of the outcome.
They also highlighted the risks associated with the loss of multiple European law enforcement tools, databases and the European Arrest Warrants and sought further assurances from the Home Secretary that UK policing will be able to maintain these capabilities regardless of the various EU-Exit scenarios.
The Commissioners were also keen to highlight the importance of police officer and police staff welfare, including the loss of leave and rest days during what could be a period of considerable strain on police resources. They asked the Home Secretary to consider giving close regard to this issue including working closely with the Department for Education and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Willy Bach said: “It was important for us to be able to tell the Home Secretary face to face about the concerns we have on behalf of our Police Forces around Brexit. It is vital that the arrangements for cooperation between our police and those in the EU remain in place. Those arrangements have saved lives and brought criminals to justice.”
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Posted on Thursday 17th January 2019