police

Also known as national police, police service, police force

thumb|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.

Research

41,481 papers

Police response to individuals displaying suicidal or self-harming behaviours: An integrative review.Health & social care in the community · 2019Chidgey K, Procter N, Baker A et al.DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12668
Police Interactions and the Mental Health of Black Americans: a Systematic Review.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2020McLeod MN, Heller D, Manze MG et al.DOI: 10.1007/s40615-019-00629-1
Black Lives and the Police.ReviewJournal of the National Medical Association · 2021Brown HL, Ponton D 3rd, Howard C et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.02.002
Police Exposures and the Health and Well-being of Black Youth in the US: A Systematic Review.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Jindal M, Mistry KB, Trent M et al.DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2929
Police for peace.The Behavioral and brain sciences · 2024Rusch HDOI: 10.1017/S0140525X23002571
Executions and Police Conflicts Involving Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.ReviewPediatric clinics of North America · 2021Johnson TJ, Wright JLDOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2020.12.012
Effect of police interactions on those experiencing homelessness: A scoping review.American journal of community psychology · 2025Barry AR, Ockuly E, Onyeukwu-McGee U et al.DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.70025
Police Violence in Health Care Settings in US Media Coverage.JAMA network open · 2023Saadi A, Ray VEDOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.42998

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Politsei buss alarmsõidul Tartus, Supilinnas, Oa tänaval. 2016. aasta september..jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Police
Commons gallery: Police
equivalent class: www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/concept/6367
hashtag: police

Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~94 min read

Article

52 sections

Contents

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.