Policing the World Interpol and the Politics of International Police Co-operation

Interpol, the oldest and best-known institution fostering cooperation among the police forces of the world, tackles drug trafficking, terrorism, and other modern day criminal activities. Recently, however, speculation has arisen: is it the most effective organization for today's global conditions, or should it be supplanted by new arrangements? In this first scholarly study of Interpol, and of other contemporary forms of police cooperation across national boundaries, Anderson discusses the proliferation of different forms of cooperation, such as the exchange of intelligence about crimes and criminals and joint surveillance of suspects and the investigation of crimes. Recognizing that contact between police forces of sovereign independent states has always been sensitive, he analyzes uncertainty as to the extent of police cooperation, and examines the shadowy role of security forces and the influence of different forms of training on police attitudes.

The need for co-operation between the police forces of the world has never been greater: there is a huge growth in international drug-trafficking and terrorism, and many social and economic activities are becoming increasingly internationalized. Interpol is the oldest and best-known institution for tackling these problems - but is it right for today's conditions, or should it be supplanted by new arrangements? In this, the first scholarly study of Interpol, and of other contemporary forms of police co-operation across national boundaries, Malcolm Anderson discusses the proliferation of different forms of co-operation. He recognizes that contact between police forces of sovereign independent states has always been a sensitive matter and analyses uncertainty about how far police co-operation can go. He also examines the shadowy role of the security services and the influence of different forms of training on police attitudes. His book will be the indispensable starting-point for any future serious attempt to address these crucial issues of international policing.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; The background; The discreet history of Interpol; The legal basis of Interpol; Interpol as an international organization; Drugs and international law enforcement; The terrorist factor; Bilateral police co-operation Models of international police co-operation; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index