Warning over impact of Brexit on police work

Police Scotland has warned of potential difficulties in fighting crime if the UK can no longer rely on co-operation with Europol after leaving the EU.

The comments come as Justice Secretary Michael Matheson travelled to The Hague to meet Europol's director. Picture: PA

Assistant Chief Constable Steven Johnson said his force would be required to renegotiate arrangements with foreign partners if no longer able to rely on support from the EU’s law enforcement agency.

His comments came as justice secretary Michael Matheson travelled to The Hague to meet Europol’s director and urge the Home Secretary to opt in to a new European policing co-operation framework.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Assistant Chief Constable Steven Johnson said: “Police Scotland will continue to strive to keep people safe, but in a world where we don’t have Europol, or that mechanism there, we will have to foster those relationships either on a bi-lateral basis, or re-negotiate some of the terms.

“And the work that I am doing on behalf of Police Scotland is to try and understand that.”