Interpol

The international police cooperation organization linking 196 member countries

Overview

Interpol, founded in Vienna in 1923 and reconstituted after World War II, connects police forces rather than running agents or arrests. Its constitution bars intervention of a political, military, religious, or racial character. Its color coded notices coordinate cross border action, most famously the Red Notice for wanted fugitives, and its Lyon databases cover stolen passports, DNA, and child exploitation material. It is policing infrastructure rather than an intelligence service, though it draws heavily on national intelligence feeds. Its general assembly sets policy, and each member state hosts a national central bureau.