Cooperation and Networking—A Key to Successful Policing

Cooperation and networking as well as co-ordinating national and international prosecution and prevention efforts continue to pose a significant challenge to all police forces worldwide. In the face of the present security threats, security systems worldwide need to develop their security architecture in such a way as to enable the necessary interdepartmental as well as inter-agency cooperation, which meets both requirements: compliance with legal regulations and flexibility for necessary ongoing adjustments. What is needed is a common understanding of challenges, tasks, responsibilities as well as an atmosphere of trust. This chapter illustrates the challenge of cooperation, focusing on the German approach to counterterrorism.