INTERPOL TV INTERVIEW - Walter A. McNeil, IACP President
Channel: INTERPOL
Date: 2012-09-05

Closer cooperation focus of International Association of Chiefs of Police President meeting with INTERPOL Chief

LYON, France -- Increased national use of INTERPOL's global tools in preventing and solving crime was a key area for discussion during a visit by the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters.

IACP President Walter A. McNeil and IACP Executive Director Bart Johnson met with INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble to discuss a range of issues, including potential cooperation between the two organizations in areas such as cybercrime and raising awareness of the INTERPOL Illicit Arms Records and tracing Management System (iARMS) which will be the first global system to allow countries to report and query lost, stolen, trafficked and smuggled firearms.

Cybercrime was high on the agenda following the joint IACP/Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) conference earlier this year where, during his address, Mr Noble underlined the need to identify new methods and develop expertise in addressing this threat.

President McNeil, who is Chief of the Quincy Police Department in Florida said that close law enforcement cooperation at the local, national and global level was essential in combating transnational crime and protecting all citizens.

"All law enforcement organizations can learn from each other about the advances being made in tackling different types of crime, to collaborate on developing best practices and build on different countries' areas of expertise," said Mr McNeil.

"Following the discussions with Secretary General Noble, I am looking forward to the prospect of the IACP and INTERPOL  working together to better support law enforcement around the world, particularly when it comes to cybercrime."

INTERPOL Secretary General Noble said that increased awareness and use of INTERPOL's global services help police in member countries achieve concrete results in combating all types of crime.

"INTERPOL's focus has always been on the frontline officer, making sure that police on the street can access the right information at the right time, and this is why it is important for us to work with organizations such as the IACP, particularly in areas such as cybercrime which are truly borderless," said Mr Noble.

"But cybercrime is not the only challenge facing law enforcement, which is why INTERPOL created tools such as the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database which enables border control officers to instantly verify if someone is trying to enter their country fraudulently and most recently iARMS, which was modeled on the SLTD, which will make a significant contribution to policing," concluded the INTERPOL Chief.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police is the world's oldest and largest non-profit membership organization of police executives, with some 20,000 members across more than 100 countries, supporting law enforcement leaders of today and developing those of tomorrow through advocacy and innovation.

Created in 1923 to facilitate cross-border police cooperation, today INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization in the world with 190 member countries spread over five continents.