From advocating for law enforcement priorities to showcasing the work of our teams and our 196 member countries, INTERPOL ensures the voice of global law enforcement is heard the world over. Darrin Jones, INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Partnerships and Planning explains how.
INTERPOL Spotlight: How would you define INTERPOL’s role as the voice of global law enforcement?
Darrin Jones: It is an essential part of what we do and one of the four goals of the Strategic Framework adopted by our General Assembly in 2025. As the global organization for law enforcement cooperation, INTERPOL is uniquely placed to lead the conversation on what matters in law enforcement and security today, facilitating high-level dialogue among key stakeholders to shape that conversation. Our Vision, Together against crime, is a clear commitment to police cooperation, bringing together and representing law enforcement agencies worldwide and ensuring the joint voice of policing reaches global leaders. It also means recognizing the work of the policemen and women on the frontline and their dedication to serving their communities, often at great personal risk.
INTERPOL Spotlight: What are some of the key areas where INTERPOL is leading today’s global law enforcement agenda?
Darrin Jones: INTERPOL is at the forefront of international efforts to trace, intercept and recover stolen assets, following the money to help solve other crimes. We are also keeping the world informed as the threat of scam centres and cyber-enabled human trafficking grows ever more global. One area I feel particularly passionate about is our efforts to bring countries across the world together in the fight against the environmental crimes that decimate natural resources, impact the climate, biodiversity and local communities. These crimes are often at the hand of criminal networks that are also involved in other transnational crimes, from drugs trafficking to corruption and money laundering. These groups are becoming more sophisticated and expanding their global reach, and perhaps our most important duty as the international policing organization is to raise the alarm over the expansion of organized crime.
To combat that expansion effectively, we also need to advocate for continued lawful access to data for criminal investigations. We are working to ensure policy makers understand how restricting law enforcement’s ability to fulfil its mission will impact society.
INTERPOL Spotlight: Can INTERPOL continue to make that voice heard at a time of significant geopolitical instability and uncertainty?
Darrin Jones: Transnational law enforcement and global security are increasingly converging. Law enforcement safeguards people and the planet and is essential to prosperity and economic development. It is ever more essential for INTERPOL to stand as the voice of global law enforcement, instigating, leading and supporting the police cooperation that is a real rampart against the criminal networks that aim to exploit geopolitical tensions for their own gain. INTERPOL’s expertise, neutrality, and dedication to the men and women who serve security in police forces across the world give us a unique voice, with the standing to ensure law enforcement remains a priority on the international agenda. It is not always easy, but remains more vital than ever.