The author reviews the origins of Interpol and the various sub-organizations it has spawned to combat international crime over the years. Several European efforts at establishing international law enforcement agencies are also described, and the future of the globalization of law enforcement is projected. The author concludes that a new pattern of international police cooperation will develop in the near future. The relationship of Interpol to the new regional, particularly European, institutions of internal security cooperation will be a crucial element in this pattern. The blurring of the distinction between internal and external security that has resulted from the disintegration of the Soviet empire and the removal of the immediate threat of a military confrontation between superpowers has altered the context in which police cooperation occurs. State security is now threatened by political violence that falls short of conventional military operations, but which arises from complex criminal conspiracies, areas formerly considered the domain of policing. The police are sometimes ill-adapted to investigate the politically powerful, but this is routine work for the intelligences services. The involvement of the security/intelligence services in criminal inquiries will complicate international law enforcement cooperation. These services would use their own international networks for intelligence and information exchange. Interpol and other forms of police cooperation would have to adapt to a new form of competition. Despite the complexities of the current situation and the additional ones that may soon occur, Interpol can face the future with some confidence because of its ability to adapt to changing circumstances.