The ICPO-Interpol and International Police Co-Operation
| Published date | 01 April 1980 |
| Author | Monsieur André Bossard |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8005300204 |
| Date | 01 April 1980 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MONSIEUR ANDRE BOSSARD
Secretary General
THE ICPO-INTERPOL
AND
INTERNATIONAL
POLICE
CO-OPERATION
Following a recent critical note in our
COMMENTARY
feature. we received the following:
The International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol,
which
today
provides
the
channels
enabling
the
law
enforcement agencies in its 127member countries to co-operate with
each other was established in its present form in 1956as the successor
to the InternationalCriminal Police Commission, founded in Vienna
in
1923.
However, Interpol is not, and has never been a supra-
national police force. From the very beginning, its purpose was to
facilitate, co-ordinate and encourage international police co-
operation as a means of combating crime.
It
has three essential
functions: to facilitate the sharing of information among law
enforcement agencies in member countries; to collect, process and
store information; to circulate information to member countries.
Naturally, a great deal of the data exchanged in this way relates to
international crimes and criminals, but member countries also share
information on technical, legal and theoretical aspects of police
work, with special emphasis on crime prevention.
In accordance with the provisions of the Organisation's
Constitution, the channels for co-operation are the Interpol National
Central Bureaus set up in each member country, and the General
Secretariat - the international headquarters located near Paris.
The General Assembly, which meets once a year, adopts the
budget and is responsible for all major policy decisions.
The Executive Committee, comprising thirteen members from
different countries elected to represent the major geographical
regions of the world, is responsible for seeing that the Assembly's
decisions are implemented and for supervising the work of the
Secretary General.
The Secretary General, who is appointed by the General
Assembly, is responsible for day-to-day management and has law
enforcement officers seconded by more than twenty member
countries on his staff.
It
is up to the National Central Bureaus to facilitate international
co-operation by finding solutions to any legal or linguistic problems
that may arise. They collect information about criminal cases with
international ramifications from the law enforcement agencies and
Po/iceJourna/ April /980 /24
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