INTERPOL IS AN ALLIANCE OF POLICE AGENCIES OF 126 COUNTRIES FORMED TO FOSTER INTERNATIONAL POLICE COOPERATION, TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION, AND TO ANALYZE INTERNATIONAL CRIME TRENDS. IN ITS 55-YEAR HISTORY, INTERPOL HAS BEEN ROMANTICIZED IN MOTION PICTURES AND NOVELS AND HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD BY BOTH THE PUBLIC AND POLICE. INTERPOL HAS NO AUTHORITY TO PERFORM ONSITE INVESTIGATIONS OR TO MAKE ARRESTS. INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS NEAR PARIS, FRANCE, HAS AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM PLUS CENTRAL FILES CONTAINING INFORMATION ON MORE THAN 1 MILLION INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS AND FINGERPRINTS FOR 160,000 CRIMINALS. INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS STAFF IS EQUIPPED TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATIONS AMONG POLICE OF MEMBER STATES, TO CONDUCT FILE SEARCHES AND FINGERPRINT ANALYSES, TO IDENTIFY COUNTERFEIT BANK NOTES AND TRAVELER'S CHECKS, TO PUBLISH BULLETINS ON CRIMES OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST, AND TO ANALYZE INTERNATIONAL CRIME TRENDS. INTERPOL OPERATES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL THROUGH NATIONAL CENTRAL BUREAUS (NCB'S), WHICH VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY IN STAFF SIZE, COMMUNICATIONS CAPACITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. THE U.S. NCB HAS A STAFF OF 12 AND OPERATES OUT OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. AMERICAN RELATIONS WITH INTERPOL HAVE BEEN UNEVEN, SHIFTING FROM AVOIDANCE TO SUSPICION TO CAUTIOUS COOPERATION. THE AMERICAN POSITION HAS LONG REFLECTED J. EDGAR HOOVER'S DISENCHANTMENT WITH INTERPOL AND HIS PREFERENCE FOR RELYING ON HIS OWN AGENTS TO HANDLE AMERICAN POLICE INTERESTS OVERSEAS. INTERPOL HAS BEEN CRITICIZED BY SOME POLITICIANS AND GROUPS FOR ITS INFORMATION-HANDLING PRACTICES. THERE APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT INTERPOL AMONG AMERICAN POLICE CHIEFS, ALTHOUGH THOSE WHO HAVE USED INTERPOL SERVICES SPEAK HIGHLY OF THEM. IN ADDITION TO BEING UNDERUSED AND MISUNDERSTOOD, THE U.S NCB IS $300,000 BEHIND IN ITS DUES TO INTERPOL. (LKM)