ACPO head calls for frontier force

Outgoing ACPO President Sir Chris Fox

has called for UK police forces to unify with government branches to

make it even harder for illegal immigrants and criminal elements to

cross UK borders.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Fox said that a new unified border force

comprising of the police, special branches, immigration and customs

should protect the UK’s international borders, to clamp down on illegal

immigration.

“Each organisation has its own agenda and we need to bring all those

objectives together with one organisation about the right time to act,”

said Mr Fox. “The frontier force would have total responsibility for

all our points of entry. I think that would make us a far more

co-ordinated organisation against criminality and illegal entry.

“The new force would be responsible for all points of entry to the UK.

It would make us a more co-ordinated organisation against criminality

and illegal entry.”

The Government has faced calls in the past from the Home Affairs Select

Committee to establish a new border security force, and the

Conservatives are also in favour of a dedicated frontier force.

However, the Government has so far rejected the proposals, maintaining

that the agencies should stay separate. Immigration Minister Tony

McNulty recently said: “UK borders are controlled by the UK Immigration

Service and HM Revenue and Customs in close co-operation with the

police. We believe that border control is more effectively carried out

when the border control agencies work closely together while remaining

distinct from each other.”