The author concludes that the best opportunity for improving international police cooperation is within established "specialized" areas of policing, such as criminalistics, hostage negotiations, homicide investigations, canine handling, communications, and patrol, just to name a few. Of these specialized areas, basic recruit training offers the best immediate results, because it cuts across all of what new officers are taught to do. There are four conditions that facilitate successful international cooperative police relationships: a perception of a serious crime problems shared by all of the participating parties; the involvement of experienced career law enforcement personnel who help define the problem and propose practical solutions; the involvement of political officials who formulate, enact, and defend enabling laws and budgetary support; and regular communication between law enforcement professionals and political officials throughout the whole process. Some obstacles to cooperation are political influences in the various countries that include rivalries between countries, as well as the lack of communication between law enforcement professionals and political officials across national borders. 18 notes