Interpol
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History
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is the world’s largest international police organization, with 186 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.
Roles
INTERPOL aims to facilitate international police co-operation even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries. Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. INTERPOL’s constitution prohibits ‘any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.’
Members
A full list of the 186 member countries can be obtained via the Interpol website.
Each of INTERPOL’s member countries maintains a National Central Bureau (NCB) staffed by national law enforcement officers.
National Central Bureau
The NCB serves as the designated contact point in each country for international police liaison with:
- INTERPOL’s General Secretariat and its regional offices
- The various law enforcement departments in the country
- National Central Bureaus in other countries requiring assistance with overseas investigations
The role of an NCB is to participate in all of INTERPOL’s activities, providing constant and active co-operation – compatible with the laws of their countries – so that INTERPOL can achieve its aims.
The NCB is typically one division of a member country’s national police agency or investigation service, or is under the jurisdiction of the ministry or department in charge of public security or justice.
The head of the NCB is usually one of the highest-ranking law enforcement officials in the country. Depending on the country’s size, the NCB may have only two or three officers responsible for all INTERPOL-related activities, or several tens of officers, with specialists in terrorism, fugitives, high-tech crimes, or trafficking in human beings, drugs or stolen property. Larger NCBs may have their own legal counsel or crisis management centres to handle urgent requests from other countries.
Officers working in the NCBs carry out their daily work in the pursuit of international police co-operation but remain employed by their national administrations.
