ABSTRACT
The main political and organizational changes at the beginning of the 1990s had their consequences during a time of transformation in Central Europe. The most important consequences of transition included such issues as police transformation, changes in structure and forms of crime, fear of crime, and migrations. This chapter describes the process of creating the system for combating organized crime, including setting up a special task force in the police and providing state agencies with new legal instruments, such as crown (witness immunity) or undercover operations. Some selected results of the police activity against organized crime are also presented. In the field of transnational police cooperation, the chapter describes the Central European Police Academy as an example of best practice. Moreover, it stresses the importance of international cooperation in fighting crime, particularly organized criminal activities, as well as the role of Interpol, Europol, and the Schengen agreement in taking initiatives that aim at eradicating crime. The concluding part of the chapter shows the newest Polish initiatives in combating organized crime, including its transnational forms.
