Interpol

Rock group

Hailing from the same New York scene that birthed the likes of the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radio 4, Liars, the Rapture, TV on the Radio, and countless others, the gloomy-pop four piece known as Interpol have proven themselves to be one of the more successful out of a pack of bands who grew notorious for combining post-punk adventurism with new-wave hooks and style in the post-Millennial indie rock world. Almost as famous for their all-black tailored suits as they are for their tightly-knit, modern version of a sound that runs the gamut of melancholy British pop groups like the Smiths, Chameleons UK, Joy Division, Kitchens of Distinction, and Echo and the Bunneymen, Interpol have proven over the course of numerous singles and two full length albums that style and substance can coexist on an equal level.

Interpol—Paul Banks on vocals and guitar, guitarist Daniel Kessler, bassist Carlos Dengler and drummer Sam Forgarino—formed in 1998 at New York University, when Kessler and then drummer Greg Drudy met fellow-student Dengler; a somewhat disgruntled guitarist that had given up on music for the time being. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Dengler said, "I wasn't playing music when Daniel came up to me. I was studying philosophy, and I wanted to pursue a career as an academic. Daniel convinced me to play with him, which I consider a landmark achievement, because nothing else could have been farther from what I wanted to do."

Nonetheless, Kessler, Dengler (on bass), and Drudy began rehearsing a handful of songs as a three piece, including the future Interpol single "PDA," until Kessler became reacquainted with Banks at NYU. The two had formally known each other while both were involved in a summer program in Paris a year earlier. Kessler recounted Banks' inaugural practice with the band in an interview with Rolling Stone saying, "Paul started singing, and Carlos and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. It really was a moment I won't forget."

Banks, who lived in four countries as a child, including England (where he was born) and Mexico, seemed to be the first step in honing in on a sound that would center around his stiff, specific and often detached baritone voice. Often compared to that of Joy Divisions' Ian Curtis, Banks' vocal delivery has been called "downcast" and full of "dramatic flair" by Pitchfork Media. Concerning the comparison to Curtis, Banks said in an interview with Rolling Stone, "I don't give a f**k what people think."

But, the addition of Banks and his charismatic voice was only part of completing the puzzle that would eventually reveal Interpol as a cemented entity on all of their releases. After two years of consistent gigging around New York City, and a short hiatus to regroup, Interpol released Drudy of his duties behind the drums in favor of Forgarino in 2000. The addition of Forgarino to the fold did more to define the bands' sound, as Dengler and Interpol's new drummer added a rhythmic undercurrent that seemed to flesh out Banks' robotic observations and Kessler's choppy guitar lines. In an interview with Filter Magazine, Forgarino said, "I'm pretty spastic and they let me get away with a lot. I don't know what drummer would not be satisfied in this band. Probably a really dumb one. The dynamic in the songwriting is the thing, and that's pretty understood. That's the band. It's only going to exist with the four of us."

For the band to truly exist, however, Interpol needed to issue some recorded material. After putting out a self-released single, 2001 saw the bands' first large-scale release, the Fukd I.D. #3 EP on the Scottish label Chemikal Underground Records, home to bands like Mogwai, the Delgados, and Arab Strap. According to Chemikal Underground's website, the Fukd I.D. collection was a series of 12" records and CDs limited to 1,000 copies with a similar packaging scheme. Interpol's version contained the songs "PDA," "Precipitate," "Roland," and "5."

Following this initial release, the process of sending out demo tapes to various labels would pay off for Interpol, as their next offering would be issued by Matador Records, home to acts like Guided by Voices, Cat Power and Pavement, and run by Gerard Cosloy and Chris Lombardi. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Forgarino said, "Word is Lombardi was listening [to the songs] while driving through the Alps in his BMW, going really, really fast. And he went, 'Yeah, this will work.'"

Issued in 2002, the single for Matador again featured "PDA" along with two new songs, "NYC" and "The Specialist." Of the single, All Music Guide declared that "Each of the songs here emit various shades of gray, built on durable arrangements, a veteran band's sense of economy and dynamics, and a streak of gloom that never quite reaches overbearing doom."

For the Record . . .

Members include Paul Banks , vocals, guitar; Carlos Dengler , bass guitar; Greg Drudy (left group, 2000), drums; Sam Forgarino (joined group, 2000), drums; Daniel Kessler , guitar.

Group formed at New York University, 1998; first official release, Fukd I.D. #3 EP, issued on Chemikal Underground, 2001; released Turn on the Bright Lights on Matador Records, 2002; released Antics on Matador, 2004.

Addresses: Record company—Matador Records, 625 Broadway, 12th Fl., New York, NY 10012, phone: (212) 995-5882, fax: (212) 995-5883. Website—Interpol Official Website: http://www.interpolny.com/.

After issuing their first single for a large scale American indie label, it came time for Interpol to deliver a full length that would live up to the buzz that was not only generating around the three songs heard on the Matador release, but one that would satisfy the expectations of music fans now paying attention to any kind of music that was being pumped out of New York, thanks the growing success of the Strokes. Released that same year, in 2002, Turn on the Bright Lights quickly garnered critical acclaim from all over. Featuring versions of the previously released "PDA," "NYC," and "Roland," as well as newer songs like "Obstacle 1" and "Say Hello to the Angels," Dusted Magazine said, "One listen to a track like 'PDA,' with its snapping rhythm, dueling jangling guitars, and vocals that bear more than a passing resemblance to Ian Curtis will have you wondering if this is New York circa now or Manchester, U.K. twenty-five years ago. Not that it's a bad thing at all." Splendidzine.com said that "There's something quite compelling about Interpol's sound—the urgent, spartan guitar lines, hazy feedback sheen and ominous, funereal basslines suggest a world of grey, rainy autumn afternoons and bleak, snowy winter nights. We've all been there—Interpol are counting on it."

Years of touring followed Interpol's successful ascent, and another release, The Black EP, came out in 2003, sporting a demo version of "NYC," as well as "PDA," "Specialist" and "Say Hello to the Angels," amongst others. Time came, however, for Interpol to step off the tour bus and back into the studio to prepare another record. The result was Antics, released in 2004. The Beats Surrender website said, "Anyone expecting Bright Lights part deux will be in for a surprise. From the opening, uplifting organ wash on 'Next Exit,' the listener is put on notice that this is a different album. 'We ain't going to the town/we're going to the city' Paul Banks declares, informing us that we will be taking a slightly different path than expected. This is practically a party record. The songs carry a more focused energy, rarely embarking to the dark alleyways and unlit corridors that constituted a considerable portion of the last album." Pitchfork Media said, "Though Interpol couldn't be expected to surpass their previous heights, it's difficult to imagine a savvier or more satisfying second step."

Selected discography

Fukd I.D. #3 (EP), Chemikal Underground, 2001.

Turn on the Bright Lights, Matador, 2002.

Interpol (EP), Matador, 2002.

The Black EP, EMI, 2003.

Antics, Matador, 2004.

Sources

Periodicals

Entertainment Weekly, October 15, 2004.

Filter Magazine, Fall 2004.

Interview, September 2004.

People, November 15, 2004.

Online

"Dusted Reviews: Interpol," Dusted Magazine, http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/353 (January 13, 2005).

"Interpol," All Music Guide,http://www.allmusic.com (December 20, 2004).

"Interpol: Antics," Pitchforkmedia.com, http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/i/interpol/antics.shtml (December 23, 2004).

"Interpol – Antics Review," The Beats Surrender, http://thebeatsurrender.co.uk/reviews/music/interpol-antics/ (January 12, 2005).

"Interpol: Princes of Darkness," RollingStone.com,http://www.rollingstone.com (January 13, 2005).

"Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights," Splendid Magazine, http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=3238396815392236 (January 13, 2005).

—Ryan Allen

Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)

█ CARYN E. NEUMANN

Interpol is an international organization based in Lyon, France, that fosters global police cooperation by sharing

intelligence about cross-border criminal activities among its 181 member nations. Despite popular misconception, the organization maintains no police force of its own. Each member nation maintains and staffs a National Central Bureau to direct Interpol intelligence, while local authorities investigate and prosecute criminals according to national laws. Interpol's actions are limited to receiving requests for assistance; analyzing criminal activities that are not of a political, military, religious, or racial character; and disseminating notices published in four languages (English, French, Spanish, and Arabic) to its members. It currently focuses upon public safety and terrorism, organized crime, illegal drug production and smuggling, weapons dealing, trafficking in human beings, money laundering, and financial and high technology wrongdoing.

Begun in 1923, Interpol is an international effort to halt crime that has occurred or is projected to occur in multiple countries. Although headquartered in France, no country dominates the group and its funding is provided by a sliding scale membership fee that is based upon each country's gross national product (GNP). The organization's policies are set by a vote of its member countries while the governors on its executive committee are required to be drawn from different continents. The secretary general, elected every five years by two-thirds of the members attending the annual General Assembly, is Interpol's chief executive and senior full-time official. Daily activities are conducted at the General Secretariat in Lyon with a staff of 384 who represent 54 different countries. National Central Bureaus (NCB) in member countries ferry Interpol information to appropriate local authorities who bear responsibility for apprehending and extraditing suspected criminals. Five NCBs also act as Regional Stations with Lyon covering Europe, North America, and the Middle East: Nairobi, Kenya, responsible for East Africa; Abidjan, Ivory Coast, focusing on West Africa; Buenos Aires, Argentina, addressing South America; Tokyo, Japan, transmitting to Asia; and Puerto Rico, assisting the Caribbean and Central America.

No nation is required to respond to an Interpol request. Some countries, notably the United States in the years leading up to World War II, have declined to fully cooperate with Interpol for fear that its files may be misused for the prosecution of political criminals. In 1956, the organization agreed to forbid any activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character, but concerns remain that some countries may potentially ignore these guidelines. The chief fear of many member countries is that classified information may fall into the hands of terrorists since the distribution of intelligence cannot be restricted once it enters the Interpol system. Although this worry has reduced the amount of classified information flowing through Interpol, the organization has experienced a steady increase in information traffic. In 2000, Interpol transmitted 2.5 million messages, placed 15,116 notices of criminal activity in circulation, and projected that 1400 people would be arrested or located as the result of Interpol intelligence. Interpol notices are coded into ten different colors that represent different purposes. The red wanted notices are the most common and this type of communication requests the arrest of subjects for whom an arrest warrant has been issued and extradition will be sought. The other notices are: seeking the identity and location of subjects who have committed or witnessed criminal offenses (blue); providing warning about career criminals who have committed offenses in several countries (green); seeking missing or lost people, especially children abducted by parents (yellow); seeking the identification of corpses (black); warning of unusual modus operandi (purple); sharing knowledge of organized crime groups (gray); and advising of criminal activity with international ramifications that does not involve a specific person or group (orange). Stolen property notices are also distributed but are not coded.

As the second largest international organization behind the United Nations, Interpol has a record of proven success. It continues to grow as new nations join and the organization betters its communications system. The increasing global movement of people and the concomitant jump in international crime likely means that Interpol will remain a popular crime-fighting tool well into the twenty-first century.

█ FURTHER READING:

BOOKS:

Anderson, Malcolm. Policing the World: Interpol and the Politics of International Police Co-operation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.

Bresler, Fenton. Interpol. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992.

United States Department of Justice and United States Department of the Treasury. Interpol: The International Criminal Police Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2002.

ELECTRONIC:

Interpol. "Interpol Information." <http://www.interpol.int/Public/Icpo/default.asp> (January 17, 2003).

SEE ALSO

Classified Information
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)

Interpol, United States National Central Bureau

█ CARYN E. NEUMANN

As the United States branch of Interpol, an international police organization, the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Washington, D.C., serves as a communications clearing-house for police seeking assistance in criminal investigations that cross international boundaries. Directed by the U.S. Attorney General and representing sixteen law enforcement agencies under the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Department of the Treasury, the USNCB focuses on fugitives, financial fraud, drug violations, terrorism, and violent crimes. It can refuse to respond to any of the 200,000 annual inquiries from other nations and, as required by Interpol bylaws, does not assist in the capture of people sought for political, racial, or ethnic reasons.

Although Interpol dates back to 1923, the USNCB did not come into existence until the 1960s because of a lukewarm American attitude toward the organization. Hesitant about the benefits of international policework, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the Department of Justice did not post wanted notices with Interpol until 1936. When J. Edgar Hoover (1895–1972), head of the FBI from 1924 to 1972, observed Interpol's success in apprehending criminals, his subsequent support of the police force prompted Congress to order the Attorney General to accept Interpol membership in 1938. Hoover became the permanent American representative to Interpol with only the FBI authorized to do business with the group. In 1950, Hoover pulled the FBI out of Interpol for reasons that remain unclear. The Treasury, however, continued to maintain informal contact with the organization and became the official U.S. representative in 1958. When the U.S. decided to establish an NCB in 1962 as part of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's fight against organized crime, the history of American involvement dictated a sharing of power between the two agencies, with Justice as the dominant partner.

The NCB became operational in 1969 with a staff of three and an annual caseload of 300. Agents are complemented by computer specialists, analysts, translators, and administrative and clerical support personnel drawn largely from the ranks of the Department of Justice. The agents operate in divisions dedicated to specific investigative areas while the analysts review case information to identify patterns and links. The law enforcement agencies represented at the USNCB include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Environmental Protection Agency; the FBI; the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; the Fish and Wildlife Service; the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); Internal Revenue Service; U.S. Customs Service; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; the Department of State; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Mint; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Secret Service. Additionally, each state, the District of Columbia, and New York City have established points of contact to receive international criminal reports from the NCB.

The USNCB operates by linking the Treasury Enforcement Computer System, the FBI's National Crime Information Center, the INS files, and the DEA records to Interpol. The international organization then funnels information from country to country. Classified information, including the vast majority of international terrorism cases, is not placed by the U.S. into Interpol channels because the flow of intelligence cannot be controlled and there are concerns that terrorists may tap into Interpol's intelligence system to plan strikes against the U.S. However, Interpol is utilized as a weapon against potential terrorists. The U.S. began accepting counter-terrorism cases in 1985. In 1990, the U.S. and Canadian governments established an Interpol Interface between the USNCB and the Canadian NCB in Ottawa. This link allows police to tap into law enforcement networks across the border to verify driver registrations and vehicle ownership.

The USNCB has grown considerably since its founding, responding to the increasing internationalization of crime as well as a jump in the numbers of foreign nationals entering the country. As these trends are likely to continue, the USNCB will likely see its crime fighting role increase in the future.

█ FURTHER READING:

BOOKS:

Anderson, Malcolm. Policing the World: Interpol and the Politics of International Police Co-operation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.

Bresler, Fenton. Interpol. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992.

United States Department of Justice and United States Department of the Treasury. Interpol: The International Criminal Police Organization. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2002.

SEE ALSO

Classified Information
FBI (United States Federal Bureau of Investigation)
DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
Department of State, United States
INS (United States Immigration and Naturalization Service)
Internal Revenue Service, United States
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)
Justice Department, United States
Law Enforcement, Responses to Terrorism
Secret Service, United States
Treasury Department, United States

Interpol, United States National Central Bureau

Forensic investigations at the local, state, and national level can be aided by the resources and data housed at international police institutions such as Interpol .

As the United States branch of Interpol, an international police organization, the United States National Central Bureau (USNCB) in Washington, D.C., serves as a communications clearinghouse for police seeking assistance in criminal investigations that cross international boundaries. Directed by the U.S. Attorney General and representing sixteen law enforcement agencies under the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Department of the Treasury, the USNCB focuses on fugitives, financial fraud, drug violations, terrorism, and violent crimes. It can refuse to respond to any of the 200,000 annual inquiries from other nations and, as required by Interpol bylaws, does not assist in the capture of people sought for political, racial, or ethnic reasons.

Although Interpol dates back to 1923, the USNCB did not come into existence until the 1960s because of a lukewarm American attitude toward the organization. Hesitant about the benefits of international police work, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI ) in the Department of Justice did not post wanted notices with Interpol until 1936. When J. Edgar Hoover (1895–1972), head of the FBI from 1924 to 1972, observed Interpol's success in apprehending criminals, his subsequent support of the police force prompted Congress to order the Attorney General to accept Interpol membership in 1938. Hoover became the permanent American representative to Interpol with only the FBI authorized to do business with the group. In 1950, Hoover pulled the FBI out of Interpol for reasons that remain unclear. The Treasury, however, continued to maintain informal contact with the organization and became the official U.S. representative in 1958. When the U.S. decided to establish the USNCB in 1962 as part of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's fight against organized crime, the history of American involvement dictated a sharing of power between the two agencies with Justice as the dominant partner.

The USNCB became operational in 1969, with a staff of three and an annual caseload of 300. Agents are complimented by computer specialists, analysts, translators, and administrative and clerical support personnel drawn largely from the ranks of the Department of Justice. The agents operate in divisions dedicated to specific investigative areas while the analysts review case information to identify patterns and links. The law enforcement agencies represented at the USNCB include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA ); the Environmental Protection Agency; the FBI; the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; the Fish and Wildlife Service; the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); Internal Revenue Service; U.S. Customs Service; the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; the Department of State; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Mint; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Secret Service. Additionally, each state, the District of Columbia, and New York City have established points of contact to receive international criminal reports from the USNCB.

The USNCB operates by linking the Treasury Enforcement Computer System, the FBI's National Crime Information Center , INS files, and DEA records to Interpol. In 1990, the U.S. and Canadian governments established an Interpol Interface between the USNCB and the Canadian NCB in Ottawa. This link allows police to tap into law enforcement networks across the border to verify driver registrations and vehicle ownership.

see also European Network of Forensic Science Institutes; FBI (United States Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Interpol

Interpol's main functions are to act as a global police communication system, to gather intelligence on activities of criminal international organizations and individuals, to provide its member states with several types of criminal databases and analytical services, and to give proactive support for police operations around the world.

The idea of founding an international police organization was initially conceived during the First International Criminal Police Congress, held in Monaco in 1914. Lawyers, magistrates, and police officers from 14 countries basically constituted the public present at the time. In that same year, World War I was initiated and the project was put aside until 1923 when the President of the Vienna Police, Dr. Johannes Schober, promoted the foundation of the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC), which was the embryo of the modern Interpol. ICPC central office was located in Vienna, Austria, and when Germany annexed Austria to its territories in 1942, the Nazis moved the organization to Berlin. In protest, the vast majority of ICPC member-countries broke with the organization. Consequently, the ICPC was practically extinct at the end of World War II in 1945.

The reorganization of ICPC started in 1946, under Belgian initiative, and the name Interpol was created as a telegraphic address. The new headquarters were located in Paris, France, with new countries progressively seeking membership. The United Nations first recognized Interpol as a consultant agency in 1949. In 1971 the UN recognized it as an inter-governmental police organization, five years after the modernization process that created a new statutory regulation, administrative structure, and a new name, International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-Interpol).

In the following decades, Interpol incorporated new technologies and organized its General Secretariat in Lyon, France, and the respective Interpol National Central Bureaus (INCBs) in each member-country. A communication system, X.400, was developed in 1990 for electronic exchange of information among the several INCBs around the world and the General Secretariat. Among other resources, an Automatic Search Facility (ASF data bank) was created in 1998 and in 2002, a web-based data system (I–24/7) was developed to optimize the access of INCBs to all available criminal records and new inputs.

The creation and consolidation of the European Union, as well as the new security challenges posed by terrorism and other transnational criminal activities such as international kidnapping and pedophilia, human traffic for labor, and narco-trafficking, make evident the strategic importance of Interpol. For instance, as an inter-governmental criminal police with law enforcement powers, Interpol is positioned to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of coordinated police operations simultaneously in several countries.

The administrative structure of Interpol consists of: 1) the General Assembly, composed of delegates appointed by each of its 182 member-countries; 2) the Executive Committee, whose members are elected by the General Assembly to represent the four Interpol regions (Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe) in Interpol affairs and decision-making; 3) the General Secretariat, along with the technical and administrative staff. Each member country maintains an Interpol National Central Bureau (INCB) that provides services to local law enforcement and institutions and functions as a liaison between the member state and the rest of the organization. The Interpol Executive Committee and the General Assembly have independent authority to appoint expert advisors.

see also International Association for Identification.