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Mission Incomprehensible: The Linguistic Barrier to Effective Police Cooperation in Europe

NCJ Number
157569
Author(s)
R D Ingleton
Date Published
1994
Length
164 pages
Annotation
This book examines the potential effect that the Single European Act will have on law enforcement cooperation, and the steps that have been taken to overcome linguistic barriers between police forces of different countries.
Abstract
The book focuses on nine of the 12 countries of the European Communities, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The problem of effective police cooperation in Europe has been subdivided here into three areas of concern: senior officers, detectives, and general policing. The data presented in the book support the general assumptions made that no one policeman can speak all nine languages of the EC, some police officers can communicate adequately in one or more foreign languages, but most police officers speak only their native language. After reviewing the current situation within the various European policing agencies, the book analyzes the diverse steps being taken to overcome the problems associated with the use of more than one language. Chapter tables, 77 references, and 4 appendixes