HM Government of Gibraltar yesterday delivered an extensive in-person briefing to officers of all ranks of the Royal Gibraltar Police on the practical and operational implications of the future UK-EU Treaty relating to Gibraltar, as part of the Government’s wider treaty communications programme.

The session formed part of the Government’s extensive reach out to the community on treaty matters, which has included a series of targeted in-person briefings with key stakeholders and operational bodies. Given the importance of ensuring that frontline services are fully informed and prepared, the briefing focused in particular on the policing and operational realities that may arise in the area around the frontier and surrounding zones.

A detailed presentation was delivered on a number of issues of direct operational relevance to the RGP, including the proposed new frontier area infrastructure, the concept and implications of hot pursuit, and the new operational realities which officers may expect in practice under the arrangements envisaged by the Treaty.

Following the presentation, officers took part in a lengthy and open question-and-answer session, during which they were given the opportunity to raise any questions they wished and to engage directly with those present on the issues discussed.

The briefing was delivered by the Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, and attended by the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr the Hon Joseph Garcia CMG MP; the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, the Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP; the Attorney General, Michael Llamas CMG KC; and the Commissioner of Police, Owain Richards.

The Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, the Hon Nigel Feetham, said: “From a policing and justice perspective, the key point is that these arrangements are intended to deliver a modern and effective operational framework for the frontier area. The issues discussed with the RGP included how new infrastructure, clear operational protocols and enhanced technological capability can assist officers in the discharge of their duties. Public safety and the integrity of law enforcement remain paramount. What is envisaged is not any weakening of Gibraltar’s security, but an opportunity to reinforce it in practical, tangible and operationally useful ways.”

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo, said: “It was important to ensure that officers of the Royal Gibraltar Police were able to hear directly from us about the operational implications of the Treaty and to ask, openly and fully, whatever questions they wished. This Government has been clear throughout that the arrangements we are negotiating are designed not to dilute security, but to enhance it. In the area of the frontier in particular, the Treaty will create opportunities to strengthen the physical environment, improve the layout and resilience of infrastructure, and deploy technology in a way that better supports the work of law enforcement. The result will not be a less safe frontier, but a safer and better point of entry to Gibraltar.  I made clear commits to the officers that they will have the human, financial and other resources they will need to deliver the new security posture we will need to deliver north of the runway after the treaty comes into effect.  I was, as ever, impressed by the commitment of the officers who attended."