Department of Justice Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler and Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday outlining the roles and responsibilities of INTERPOL Washington.The MOU is part of cooperation efforts with INTERPOL’s other 187 member countries and the more than 18,000 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
“This groundbreaking collaborative partnership, cemented by the MOU, will combine the strengths and expertise of DOJ, DHS, and the USNCB,” said INTERPOL Washington Director Timothy A. Williams. “The MOU also provides a framework for the deputy attorney general, the deputy secretary, and the USNCB director to determine all policy and personnel decisions for the USNCB, and establishes senior management positions, which rotate between the two departments every three years.”
A new element in the collaborative partnership is the I-24/7 network, a national system that allows investigative personnel the ability to access INTERPOL’s databases and police services containing pertinent information on wanted persons, terrorists, missing persons, stolen and lost travel documents and stolen vehicles.
The signed agreement is an attempt to provide necessary resources for agents and officers in the field to secure security within the United States.
“The MOU will enable INTERPOL Washington to increase focus on the reduction of transnational organized crime by strengthening global partnerships; leveraging existing technology and pursuing new enterprise solutions; and boosting the international exchange of information in order to bolster efforts aimed at preventing global terrorism,” Williams said.
