Home Secretary Priti Patel this week (Thursday 8 August) visited 2 policing hubs that are at the heart of law enforcement’s preparation for the UK’s exit from the European Union on 31 October.

The International Crime and Coordination Centre (ICCC) went live in February 2019 and has been supported by Home Office funding. It is acting as a centre of expertise to support police forces in making a smooth transition to non-EU law enforcement mechanisms in the event of a no deal.

The Home Office funded the establishment of the ICCC in 2018/2019 and confirmed that the department will continue to resource the unit in 2019/2020.

The Home Secretary was briefed by police leaders on the ICCC’s role and assessment of the ongoing cooperation between UK and EU law enforcement as well as how UK policing is maintaining readiness for Brexit.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

We will be leaving the European Union on 31 October and that is why I am ensuring our law enforcement agencies are ready.

Our police are the pride of Britain and I’m encouraged to see that they are well prepared to keep fighting crime and protecting the public once we leave.

We will continue to work with police forces to ensure they get the support they need for Brexit and beyond.

The Home Secretary also visited the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) and witnessed a demonstration of how the unit will respond to Brexit on 31 October.

The NPoCC was set up in 2013 and coordinates the deployment of police officers and staff across the UK during major events and operations.