police
Sign in to savethumb|Landespolizei|German State Police officer in Hamburg, with the rank of ("police chief master with upgraded pay")
AI overview
Police are law enforcement officers employed by government agencies to maintain public order, prevent crime, and enforce laws in their communities. They matter because they play a central role in the justice system and public safety infrastructure that societies rely on to protect their citizens and property.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
52 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Development of theory
- Personnel and organization
- Uniformed
- Detectives
- Volunteers and auxiliary
- Specialized
- Administrative duties
- Military
- Religious
- Secret
- By country
- International
- Overseas policing
- Equipment
- Weapons
- Communications
- Vehicles
- Strategies
- Clearance rate
- Power restrictions and accountability
- Accountability
- Selective enforcement
- Protection of individuals
- History
- Ancient
- China
- Babylonia
- Egypt
- Greece
- Rome
- India
- Achaemenid (First Persian) Empire
- Israel
- Africa
- The Americas
- Post-classical
- Early modern
- Modern
- Scotland and Ireland
- London
- Metropolitan
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Lebanon
- India
- United States
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Landespolizei|German State Police officer in Hamburg, with the rank of ("police chief master with upgraded pay")
The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers encompass arrest and the use of force legitimized by the state's monopoly on violence. The term is most commonly associated with the police forces of a sovereign state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. Police forces are often defined as being separate from the military and other organizations involved in the defense of the state against foreign aggressors; however, gendarmerie are military units charged with civil policing. Police forces are usually public sector services, funded through taxes.