NCJ Number
180100
Journal
Policing Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 214-241
Editor(s)
Geoffrey P. Alpert,
Lawrence F. Travis III
Date Published
1999
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This paper focuses on the main discussion points of the Fourth International Police Executive Symposium in Vienna in 1997; the symposium's theme was international police cooperation.
Abstract
The symposium presentations and discussions centered on international police cooperation in the forms of regional, bilateral, and multinational police cooperation projects that existed in their countries or regions, as well as the advantages, challenges, and problems of these cooperative activities, including information on what has worked well. Symposium participants also discussed plans for future projects in the field of international police cooperation and identified lessons that can be drawn for strengthening international police cooperation in the future. A survey that covered the aforementioned symposium issues was circulated among the participants of the International Police Executive Symposium's annual meetings held in Geneva (1994); Onati, Spain (1995); and Yokohama (1996). The survey findings are similar to the views expressed by the Vienna symposium participants. First, most involvement in international policing agreements seems to be regional. Second, financial limitations inhibit the growth of international police cooperative projects. Third, the more prosperous countries are viewed as donors, and the less prosperous countries are viewed as the beneficiaries of international police ventures. Fourth, widespread corruption within a country leads to ineffectiveness and impracticality in international police cooperation. Fifth, viable agreements between two or more countries are much more difficult to establish if these countries have different political structures, legal traditions, and value systems; whereas, the converse is true if the political structures, legal traditions, and values of the countries are similar. 95 references