NCJ Number
47731
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 51 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL-JUNE 1978) Pages: 125-135
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THREE ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALITY AND TRANSNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE EXAMINED. REGARDING THE NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL CRIME, IT IS NOTED THAT ANY KIND OF LOCAL OR NATIONAL CRIME CAN BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT NO POLICE FORCE IN THE WORLD CAN BE SURE THAT IT WILL NEVER BE FORCED TO DEAL WITH A CASE HAVING INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS. VARIOUS FORMS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIME ARE CITED. SOME CRIMINALS COMMIT CRIMES THAT ARE OF A PURELY LOCAL NATURE AND THEN ESCAPE TO A PLACE OF REFUGE ABROAD; OTHER CRIMINALS UNDERTAKE OFFENSES OF LOCAL IMPORTANCE IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT. ON OCCASION, A SEEMINGLY LOCAL OFFENSE MAY HAVE INTERNATIONAL RAMIFICATIONS, AS WHEN COUNTERFEITERS IMITATE BANKNOTES; THE ACTUAL REPRODUCTION PROCESS MAY TAKE PLACE IN A VERY LIMITED LOCALE, BUT THE NOTES THEMSELVES MAY BE DISCOVERED MANY THOUSAND OF MILES AWAY. AT MORE SOPHISTICATED LEVELS, CRIMINAL OPERATIONS MAY SPREAD ACROSS SEVERAL COUNTRIES, AN EXAMPLE BEING THE TRAFFICKING OF NARCOTICS. VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO PREVENT AND PUNISH CERTAIN TYPES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS THE CONVENTIONS ON OPIUM AND OTHER NARCOTICS ADOPTED BETWEEN 1912 AND 1971. INTERNATIONAL POLICE COOPERATION IS DISCUSSED. CERTAIN PRINCIPLES MUST BE RESPECTED FOR SUCH COOPERATION TO BE EFFECTIVE: (1) POLICE ACTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER CANNOT BE LIMITED BY GEOGRAPHIC CRITERIA; (2) POLICE COOPERATION CAN ONLY DEAL WITH THOSE ASPECTS OF CRIME ABOUT WHICH THERE IS SOME GENERAL CONSENSUS OF OPINION; (3) POLICE COOPERATION MUST BE FUNCTIONAL (E.G., ALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN A COUNTRY, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR SPECIFIC JURISDICTIONS, SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS IF THEY ARE CALLED UPON TO ENFORCE THE CRIMINAL LAW); (4) COOPERATION MUST BE PROPERLY ORGANIZED IF IT IS TO BE EFFECTIVE; AND (5) COOPERATION MUST BE CARRIED OUT ON A PERMANENT AND CONSTANT BASIS. FINALLY, THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION, BETTER KNOWN AS INTERPOL, IS DISCUSSED. THE FOUNDING AND EARLY HISTORY OF INTERPOL, ARE REVIEWED, AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS OUTLINED, PERMANENT STRUCTURES FOR CARRYING ON DAY-TO-DAY COORPERATION ARE PROVIDED IN THE 126-MEMBER COUNTRIES BY BODIES KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAUX, AND AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL BY THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT. THE NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAUX ARE POLICE DEPARTMENT APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THEIR COUNTRIES TO ACT AS THE PERMANENT CORRESPONDENTS; THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CENTRALIZING ALL REQUESTS COMING FOR INFORMATION OR ACTION IN OTHER COUNTRIES FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE MEMBER COUNTRY. (KBL)