NCJ Number
125550
Date Published
1989
Length
80 pages
Annotation
Four papers examine the security implications of the decision of a number of European countries to eliminate all controls at their common borders.
Abstract
One paper advises that because of the growing threat of international crime, a European security consciousness must emerge before the borders officially open. It argues that structured cooperation among the European police forces can compensate for the loss of border controls. Such cooperation should involve the exchange of criminological experiences, joint police training projects, the shared development of extensive data collections, and coordinated research projects. Another paper discusses the importance of the Schengen Information System in compensating for the loss of border controls. This is an automated data base that will store information on wanted persons and objects. A third paper notes that the compensatory security measures currently being negotiated by the member countries of the Agreement of Schengen (agreement to eliminate border control) do not provide sufficient security. The author argues that even if all compensatory measures work as planned, the security level provided by current border controls cannot be matched. The West German police are advised to consider internal measures to enhance security such as routine controls in areas with frequently changing demographics, constant surveillance of high-crime areas, increased waterway patrols, and the expanded use of television messages to locate wanted persons. The concluding paper reviews how European police forces view border openings. The countries surveyed are Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Great Britain, and Austria. Some of these countries are not participants in the Agreement of Schengen.