The need for co-operation between the police forces of the world has never been greater: there is a huge growth in international drug-trafficking and terrorism, and many social and economic activities are becoming increasingly internationalized. Interpol is the oldest and best-known institution for tackling these problems - but is it right for today's conditions, or should it be supplanted by new arrangements?

In this, the first scholarly study of Interpol, and of other contemporary forms of police co-operation across national boundaries, Malcolm Anderson discusses the proliferation of different forms of co-operation. He recognizes that contact between police forces of sovereign independent states has always been a sensitive matter and analyses uncertainty about how far police co-operation can go. He also examines the shadowy role of the security services and the influence of different forms of training on police attitudes. His book will be the indispensable starting-point for any future serious attempt to address these crucial issues of international policing.