International organisations
INTERPOL is the largest international police organisation in the world. It was founded in 1923 to prevent and combat international crime.
INTERPOL's headquarters are located in Lyon, France, its global centre for development is located in Singapore (IGCI), plus six regional offices, and a number of liaison officers at strategic partners.
Each of the 192 member states has a National Office (NCB), which is responsible for the cooperation in relation to the national authorities, other NCB's and the INTERPOL Secretariat.
The Danish NCB is located in the Danish National Police's National Investigation Centre.
Europol is a collaboration between the national police authorities of the EU set up to prevent and combat cross-border crime related to organised crime and terrorism.
In Europol, the national police authorities collaborate by:
- Exchanging information on criminals
- Working in joint investigation teams in specific cases
- Conducting joint actions against organised, international criminal networks
Each country has appointed a number of liaison officers located at the Hague headquarters. These liaison officers are responsible for the exchange of information between the countries' authorities.
Europol also collaborates with countries outside the EU and international organisations. Europol has, for example, cooperation agreements with Norway, the US and INTERPOL.
Denmark stepped out of the police collaboration 1 May 2017, but has entered into a special agreement that continues to give Denmark access to eg. Europol's database.
Danish National Police's National Investigation Centre handles the communication to and from Europol.
Denmark joined the Schengen cooperation 25 March 2001. In accordance with law no. 418 of 10 June 1997 § 2, part 2, Danish National Police is designated as central authority under the Schengen Convention's article 108, part 2.
This means, among other things, that Danish National Police handles the function as Danish SIRENE office. SIRENE is short for Supplementary Information REquest at the National Entry.
Each Schengen country has a SIRENE office, whose task (among other things) it is to exchange additional information in the Schengen Information System (SIS), as a result of a hit in the SIS.
The Danish SIRENE office is located together with the national units of INTERPOL and Europol in the Danish National Police.
Data in the Schengen Information System (SIS)
SIS is an IT system which was established in connection with the abolition of border control within the EU. The aim of the SIS system is to ensure a high level of security in the area of freedom, security and justice within the EU, including maintaining public order and security as well as the safe-guarding of security in the territories of the member states.
The use of SIS is regulated in the three SIS regulations:
- Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return og illegally staying third-country nationals
- Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of border checks
- Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
SIS contains data about persons who are wanted for arrest, who are missing, who are vulnerable and should be prevented from leaving the Schengen area, who are sought in order to assist in connection with criminal proceedings, who are sought for the purpose of discreet surveillance or specific checks. Furthermore, SIS contains data on third-country nationals who are subject of a return decision or are to be denied entry or stay in the Schengen area. SIS also contains data about objects such as vehicles, travel documents or industrial equipment, which is to be seized.
If you are registered in the Schengen Information System you have certain rights. You generally have the right to know whether data about you has been entered in the SIS, as well as the right to access personal data about you, which was entered. You also have the right to have factually inaccurate data rectified and demand the erasure of unlawfully stored data.
Data subject rights
If you wish to request access to information, deletion or rectification of information about yourself in the Schengen Information System (SIS) you can contact the Danish National Police.
If you are only interested in information related to entry bans or return decision regarding illegally staying third-country nationals, please contact the Danish Return Agency, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) or the Danish Immigration Service.
Below is a form, you can use for your request:
Request access to information registered about you in SIS (form)
Request deletion or rectification of information registered about you in SIS (form)
Please send your request to:
Rigspolitiet
Politiområdet
Polititorvet 14
1780 København V
Att.: Juridisk Afdeling
Email: pol-jur-udl@politi.dk
The Danish Data Protection Agency
Further information about the Schengen Information System can be found on the website of the Danish Data Protection Agency.
If you wish to submit a complaint concerning the police's processing of personal data related to you, please contact:
The Danish Data Protection Agency
Carl Jacobsens Vej 35
DK-2500 Valby
Denmark
Email: dt@datatilsynet.dk
The police collaboration between the Nordic countries is supplemented by a system whereby the Nordic countries have posted police and customs officials as liaison officers to a number of countries, where it is estimated that there is a particular need for direct relations with the countries' law enforcement authorities.
The liaison officers work jointly for the Nordic countries, regardless of which country has issued the relevant police or customs officer. The Liaison Officer Scheme initially concerned only drug crime, but since 1996 it has been extended to a generalist scheme for all forms of cross-border crime.
The liaison officers communicate via the national central units, which in Denmark means Danish National Police's Communication Centre. There are currently 33 Nordic liaison officers sent to 17 countries. Several of the liaison officers are side-credited to the authorities in neighbouring countries, etc.
The collaboration Task Force on Organised Crime in the Baltic Sea Region was established in 1996 on the basis of a decision made at a meeting between the heads of state and government in the Baltic Sea Region.
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Germany participate in the collaboration.
The purpose of the collaboration is to promote operational collaboration between law enforcement authorities in the participating countries. This applies in particular to the fight against organised crime by strengthening the exchange of information and experience and through education.
In order to achieve this goal, a significant number of joint operations at bi- and multilateral level are conducted.
Danish National Police's National Investigation Centre is the point of contact for foreign liaison officers' collaboration with Danish authorities. The National Investigation Centre is thus the coordinator of the foreign liaison officers' tasks and activities in Denmark, since they must not independently carry out investigations in Denmark.
Purpose of collaboration
Collaboration between foreign liaison officers and the Danish National Police is typically based on exchange of information in order to conduct joint efforts in cross-border, international, organised crime.
Particularly with the Swedish liaison officers, there is a close collaboration due to the geographical proximity and because of the bridge connection to Sweden, which is used as a route to Sweden to smuggle drugs, contraband etc.
Collaborators
The following countries have liaison officers stationed in Denmark:
- France
- Japan
- China
- Sweden (customs and police)
- Turkey
- USA (DEA, FBI, Homeland Security)
In addition to the aforementioned liaison officers, the following countries have liaison officers associated with Denmark:
- Australia (stationed in The Hague)
- Canada (stationed in London)
- Israel (stationed in Berlin)
- Germany (stationed in Stockholm)
For many years, close collaboration has also been established with DEA and the FBI, who work from the US Embassy in Copenhagen.
How it works
The liaison officers from Sweden and Turkey have offices at the Danish National Police, and the collaboration with the National Investigation Centre's employees is case-related. In addition, the National Investigation Centre hosts regular meetings with the various liaison officers, and at least one annual joint meeting is held for all liaison officers affiliated with Denmark.