NCJ Number
80724
Journal
Polizia Moderna Volume: 32 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1980) Pages: 18-20,22-23
Date Published
1980
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The legal status of INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization), its relations with other international organizations, and its internal workings are described.
Abstract
INTERPOL was formed in 1925 to (1) provide reciprocal assistance to police authorities within the framework of national laws and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and (2) develop institutions to prevent crimes against the common interest. INTERPOL is not authorized to intervene in political, military, religious, or racial affairs. Chief tools used by INTERPOL are information exchange, identification of suspects and fugitives, and arrest (usually accompanied by extradition) of fugitives from justice. INTERPOL is no 'superpolice' force but a form of cooperation among official police organizations, it is officially recognized by the United Nations. INTERPOL has close relations not only with the United Nations but also with the Customs Cooperation Council, the Council of Europe, the Organization of African States, and the Pan-Arab Organization for Social Defense. Internally, INTERPOL is organized into representative bodies (the General Assembly and Legislative Committee) and permanent technical units (the General Secretariat and the Central National Offices) that carry out the decisions of the deliberative bodies. A graphic representation of the international police radio network is provided, together with illustrated examples of recent INTERPOL activities.