Crime creates vulnerability. It threatens people’s safety and livelihoods and brings fear into homes, streets and communities. It also preys on those already at risk, including children, victims of trafficking, missing persons and people targeted online. The impact can be immediate and personal, but it can also undermine confidence, weaken resilience and affect entire communities.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and protected. Trust is built when policing delivers; when harm is prevented, victims are found, dangerous fugitives are arrested and criminal networks are dismantled and can no longer harm. Such outcomes show people that their safety matters and give them the confidence to report crime, share information and seek help. They also reinforce the legitimacy of policing by demonstrating fairness, effectiveness and a commitment to protecting the most vulnerable.
Criminals exploit international borders to expand their activities, target new victims and evade law enforcement. International police cooperation cuts off those opportunities, turning information shared in one country into action in another: a victim brought to safety, a fugitive arrested, a criminal network disrupted. Timely cooperation and trusted partnerships ensure that borders do not become barriers to protecting people.
INTERPOL helps police in its 196 member countries work together to deliver these results. Through its global networks, expertise and operational support, INTERPOL enables law enforcement agencies to exchange information and coordinate action against transnational threats. Because protecting people, strengthening public confidence and building safer communities are the foundations of trusted and legitimate policing.
