Trends and challenges for law enforcement training and education

Abstract

The security challenges today are complex, global and continuously evolving. The reinforcement of counter-terrorism efforts has become a priority at national and EU level, as have the combatting of cybercrime and fight against organised crime groups profiting from vulnerable migrants. This paper describes current threats to the topic of security in the European Union. The analysis draws on information from up to 40 partners of Europol, including EU’s Member States, Third States and other organisations and agencies. Europol is an operational centre and information hub on serious organised crime and terrorism in Europe, which receives and analyses information, links the dots and feeds leads back to investigators at national level. Consequently, the agency has a unique ability to identify threats and emerging trends. Furthermore, the paper discusses what this means for national and international police services and their need to learn and develop new skills and tools. In the last part of the article, Europol’s and CEPOL’s roles in this learning process are discussed.