Police in the USA

HISTORY AND INTERESTING FACTS
The New York City Sheriff's Office was founded in 1626.
The first local police department was the Boston Police Department in 1838.
The New York City Police Department was founded in 1845.
The first women were assigned as officers in California, 1910.

Types of police
Policing in the US is conducted by numerous agencies at many different levels. Their duties varies from state to state.
Federal Police was founded two hundred years old.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for most law enforcement duties at the federal level. It includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service and others.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is another branch with numerous federal law enforcement agencies.

Types of police
State Police
States police agencies provide law enforcement duties, including investigations and state patrols. They may be called State Police, State Patrol or Highway Patrol.

Types of police
County Police
County law enforcement is provided by Sheriffs' Departments or Offices and County police.
County police tend to exist only in metropolitan counties and have countywide jurisdiction.
Hawaii - Hawaii has only county police, there are no local police.
County police is divided into three broad categories:
Full-service
Limited service
Restricted service

Types of police
Sheriffs' departments
In the United States, a sheriff is generally, but not always, the highest law enforcement officer of a county. A sheriff is in most cases elected by the population of the county. In some states the sheriff is officially titled "High Sheriff", although the title is very rarely actually used.
They provide all traditional law-enforcement functions, including countywide patrol and investigations.
Sheriffs' departments are divided into 3 categories:
Full service
Limited service
Restricted service

Types of police
Other
The other types of special police departments are:
Transport police.
Campus police.
Airport police.
Park police.
Police departments responsible for protection property of government.

Police functions
Peace and order maintenance.
Law enforcement.
Crime Prevention.
Crime Detection.
Crime Solution.

Entry qualifications
To be a citizen of US.
To have a high school diploma or a college degree, or service in the United States military;
To be in good physical and psychological condition;
To have a valid driver's license with a clean driving record;
To be of high moral character;
Not to use narcotics or alcohol;
Not to have a history of ethical, professional or financial violations;
Not to have a history of domestic violence or mental illness;
To be legally eligible to own and carry a firearm.

Entry qualifications
Police Officers

Salary
Salary depends on the length of service.

Police weapons
Handguns
Police in the United States usually carry a handgun on duty. Many are required to be armed on-duty and off-duty.
Some police departments allow qualified officers to carry shotguns and/or semiautomatic rifles in their vehicles for additional firepower.

Specialized weapons
Most large police departments have elite SWAT units which are called in to settle dangerous situations.
These units usually have e guns, carbines or rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, gas, smoke and grenades, and other specialized weapons .
A few departments have an armored vehicle for especially dangerous work.

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
Most American police departments are dispatched from a centralized communications center.
American police cars are equipped with portable computers linked by radio to a network allowing them access to state department of motor vehicles information, criminal records, and other important information.
The number "911" is the universal emergency number for everyone in the United States. In 2000, approximately 150 million calls were made to 911, according to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).

Police Uniform
The police uniform shows identification, authority, professionalism and unity. A police officer in full dress uniform is known as one of the sharpest-looking people around. It is each officer's responsibility to maintain a clean, neat uniform in good repair, and to know how to wear that uniform properly. Each department has its own regulations for wearing dress uniforms, but most have similar specifications as to uniform appearance and insignia placement.

Transport of the Police

Police Service