The National Police Chiefs Council reported on 19th September that a new national unit will assist police forces to use alternatives if the UK loses access to current EU data sharing and cooperation tools, such as the European Arrest Warrant or Europol systems. Contingency plans agreed by all chief constables will see UK law enforcement revert to use of international police tools through Interpol, bilateral channels and Council of Europe conventions to enable extradition of suspects, trace missing people and share intelligence about crime and terrorism. A small team led by the NCA and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have reviewed the UK’s use of EU instruments and the operational risks posed by their loss as well as identifying alternative non-EU tools and processes for using them.
