Interpol gears for indaba
INTERPOL secretary-general Dr Jürgen Stock says member countries need to come up with an international response to regional and international crime threats, as the organisation prepares to hold its 86th General Assembly.
Zimbabwe Republic Police senior officers are expected to attend the General Assembly in Beijing, China, from September 26 to the 29th.
In this respect, he said ensuring that real-time data is in the hands of frontline officers and increased cooperation across various national, regional and global agencies against terrorism, organised crime and cyber crime will be key topics during the 86th Interpol General Assembly.
Interpol’s global policing capabilities include its 24 /7 secure police communications network, and a range of global databases for stolen and lost travel documents, fingerprints, DNA and facial recognition, for sharing information globally to better combat transnational organised crime and terrorism.
Speaking recently in Managua at the opening of the 23rd Commission of police chiefs and directors of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Colombia (CJDPCAMCC), Dr Stock said Interpol’s proven international cooperation network underpins regional efforts against transnational crime.
“There is already an established co-operation network against transnational crime. Law enforcement needs to avoid duplicating its efforts and creating competing parallel systems when INTERPOL’s global system already serves regional needs,” Dr Stock said.
The Interpol chief said it was also important to learn first-hand about the operational needs of law enforcement in the region, and to adapt.
“In the face of an evolving crime landscape, Interpol is constantly working to adapt its global policing capabilities and operational activities to respond to the needs of police at the frontlines,” said Dr Stock.
Chaired by the director-general of the National Police of Nicaragua, Aminta Granera Sacasa, the regional Commission of Police Chiefs and Directors committed to strengthen the role of their National Central Bureaus within their respective police organisations in order to better coordinate information exchange and contribute to an effective global response.
On the sidelines of the Managua meeting, Dr Stock said Interpol’s global policing community stood in solidarity with countries in the Caribbean and beyond following the devastation by Hurricane Irma and with Mexico in the wake of the strongest earthquake to hit the country in a century.
Zimbabwe has been a member of Interpol since November 13, 1980 and has been conducting joint operations with other member states to curb cross-border crimes.
Local police officers have also been attending training workshops organised by Interpol.
Interpol is the world’s largest international police organisation, with 190 member countries, including Zimbabwe. Its role is to enable policing around the world to work together to make the world a safer place.