Reassurance must be provided on National Security Intelligence sharing arrangements and how cyber crime would be tackled in an independent Scotland, according to a top police officer.
David Hamilton also said it was up to the Better Together campaign to convince people that such threats and risks are relevant to Scotland and demonstrate the UK’s ability to react to such emerging threats with appropriate speed and agility.
Based in Dundee, Mr Hamilton, chairman of the North Area Committee of the Scottish Police Federation, told the union’s conference in Aviemore officers were “not here to debate the pros and cons of independence, rather to make observations and pose questions”.
He said: “The UK has an established intelligence framework between the four main intelligence agencies Security Service, Secret Intelligence Service, Defence Intelligence and GCHQ (UK Government Communications Headquarters) and our service interfaces with that primarily through our Special Branch.
“An obvious question then arises as to what the intelligence relationships would be between the two states and how we would ensure and safeguard mutual sharing of existing and future intelligence.
“There are plenty of European and Nordic models to consider.
“Similarly with cyber crime, the fourth greatest risk to the UK, we have roughly a 10% share of a significant technical and intellectual skill base mostly based in GCHQ.
“Do we replicate this for Scotland, migrate to a paneuropean model or asset share what we have?”