Police on both sides of the Border will step up co-operation to tackle the threat from dissident republicans, according to Northern Ireland’s chief constable.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána have agreed a series of protocols that will increase joint working on investigations, Chief Constable Matt Baggott said.
The proposals will see more routine and faster transfer of evidence between the services, improved communication channels for officers and the ability to bring more prosecutions against individuals for crimes committed in the neighbouring jurisdiction.
Police chiefs are to take the blueprint to their respective governments with a recommendation that it is implemented.
“Our relationship with the Garda operationally is second to none and we have plans to take to both governments in future to improve that further,” said Mr Baggott.
“We have got a joint piece of work at the moment looking at improving our co-operation even more - so we are policing Ireland as an entity, without breaching sovereignty.”
As well as the dissident threat, Mr Baggott said the agreement would enable more joint policing to thwart cross-border human trafficking and smuggling.
“The amount of stuff we are dealing with together now is quite amazing,” he added.
Explaining what the agreement focused on, Mr Baggott said: “Speeding up the ability to investigate and bring people to justice. So transfer of evidence, working more closely together - I’m not saying Schengen entirely (ability to move across borders) - but looking at the issues of where trials are held, can be we hold them north and south for a lot more offences?
“Can we move evidence? Rather than going to London and back to Dublin can we just get the evidence transferred quickly?
“What’s our joint communications looking like? Joining up communication across the border and certainly looking at joining up our investigations even more.”
PA