When the FBI Seeks Extradition…®
INTERPOL AND OTHER FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE
Europol
Building on the model of Interpol, but feeling critical of what they considered to be Interpol's failings, the European Community created its own regional, supranational police force, Europol, in 1994. McDonald at 3.
The mission of Europol, in its own words, is "to make a significant contribution to the European Union's law enforcement action against organised crime and terrorism with an emphasis on targeting criminal organisations." EUROPOL, FACT SHEET ON EUROPOL, 2005, available here (last visited June 2, 2005).
Like Interpol, Europol has created a framework in which information is shared between member states, analysis is made available to all, and training is provided. Id. Likewise, Europol has no executive powers. In other words, it is not a "European FBI." EUROPOL, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, available here (last visited June 2, 2005), just like Interpol is not an International FBI. Europol officials are not allowed to conduct investigations or arrest suspects. Id. But the depth of Europol's integration, including communication between not just police officers but also support staff makes Europol an effective crime-fighting tool for the member states of the EU. Id. Moreover, Interpol and Europol recently signed an agreement that would enhance the effectiveness of cross-border communication between police agencies. Id.
LEIU
In 1956, the Los Angeles and San Francisco Police Departments held a meeting of state and local law enforcement agencies who were interested in creating a law enforcement intelligence network which would be independent of federal control. McDonald at 4. They called this group the Law Enforcement Intelligence Network, and membership is tightly controlled by the executive board. Id. The mission of the LEIU, in its own words, is "to gather, record, and exchange confidential information not available through regular police channels, concerning organized crime and terrorism." LEIU, HISTORY, PURPOSE, AND OPERATIONS.
Unlike Interpol or Europol, the LEIU "has no employees and no capability as an entity to conduct any investigation or law enforcement activity of any kind." Id. Currently membership of the LEIU is comprised of law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. Id.
The LEIU works in much the same way as Interpol and Europol. Information about a criminal suspect is entered into a secure RISS, see below, intranet available only to member agencies. Id. This information must follow certain guidelines, but it typically includes the subject's identity, criminal activity, and criminal associates. Id. If a member agency abuses the extremely sensitive nature of the information, it will be dropped from the network. McDonald at 4.