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Law enforcement in the United States

As of 2020, more than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers have been serving in the United States. About 137,000 of those officers work for federal law enforcement agencies.[1]

Law enforcement operates primarily through governmental police agencies. There are 17,985 police agencies in the United States which include local police departments, county sheriff's offices, state troopers, and federal law enforcement agencies. The law enforcement purposes of these agencies are the investigation of suspected criminal activity, referral of the results of investigations to state or federal prosecutors, and the temporary detention of suspected criminals pending judicial action. Law enforcement agencies, are also commonly charged with the responsibilities of deterring criminal activity and preventing the successful commission of crimes in progress. Other duties may include the service and enforcement of warrants, writs, and other orders of the courts.


Law enforcement agencies are also involved in providing first response to emergencies and other threats to public safety; the protection of certain public facilities and infrastructure, such as private property; the maintenance of public order; the protection of public officials; and the operation of some detention facilities (usually at the local level).

73 federal agencies

50 primary state law enforcement agencies

1,733 special jurisdiction agencies

3,063 sheriff's offices

12,501 city, county, tribal, and regional police departments

1960s: The marked the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and much police misconduct came from protests that often turned violent. There were also planned attacks against police stemming directly from the force that was being used by the police against the protesters. President Lyndon Johnson created the Office of Law Enforcement Assistance in 1965. From that, much was done on the federal and local level, such as enhanced training for police personnel. Police officers at that time were often made up of ex-military members who had little training and were left to learn their skills during their job experiences. Law enforcement personnel were also responsible to attend college as a result.[78]

1960s

1965: The of 1965 lasted six days and began following the arrest of Marquette Frye by a white California Highway Patrol officer on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. 34 people were killed, and more than 1,000 were injured. The riots also caused over $40 million in damage.[79]

Watts Riots

1985: On May 13, 1985, nearly five hundred police officers the MOVE black liberation group compound in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a shootout between police and MOVE members involving automatic weapons and over 10,000 rounds fired, Commissioner Gregore Sambor ordered that the compound be bombed. Two one-pound bombs made of FBI-supplied Tovex were dropped from a police helicopter targeting a fortified, bunker-like cubicle on the roof of the house. The resulting explosions ignited a fire from fuel for a gasoline-powered generator stored in the rooftop bunker. The fire spread and eventually destroyed approximately sixty-five nearby houses. Eleven people, including five children aged 7 to 13, died in the resulting fire.

attempted to clear

1991: In March 1991, Officers from the , while attempting to arrest Rodney King, used what many believed was excessive force. Four LAPD officers used physical force on King after he resisted arrest. A bystander videotaped the incident and later supplied it to local media. The officers were charged with assault and using excessive force, with all officers acquitted of the assault, and three of the four officers acquitted of using excessive of force, during the initial trial. This led to the citywide 1992 Los Angeles riots, during which 63 people were killed and 2,373 were injured; it ended only after the California Army National Guard, the United States Army, and the United States Marine Corps provided reinforcements to re-establish control.[78]

Los Angeles Police Department

2006: was fatally shot on the night before his wedding. It was reported that the police had shot over 50 times at Bell and two of his friends that he was with.[80]

Sean Bell

2014: was shot by a police officer after struggling with the officer and attempting to take the officer's gun. His death prompted citywide riots and protests that lasted approximately 5 days.[80]

Michael Brown

2016: was shot by a police officer. Due to the rise of social media and cell phones, it is now easy for people to broadcast police use of force incidents that they see. The trend started with Rodney King and has grown since. In this case, Castile's girlfriend live-streamed his death on Facebook. The video gained approximately 3.2 million views by the next day.[81]

Philando Castile

2020: by a Minneapolis Police Department officer in an arrest filmed and uploaded on social media. Officer Derek Chauvin spent over nine minutes with his knee on Floyd's neck, asphyxiating him, despite pleas from onlookers to stop. The incident sparked protests and riots across the United States.

George Floyd was murdered

Be a (waived in certain agencies if the applicant is a lawful resident);

United States citizen

Have a or a GED and if necessary a college degree or served in the United States military without a dishonorable discharge;

high school diploma

Be in good medical, physical, and psychological condition;

Maintain a clean without either serious or repeated misdemeanor or any felony convictions;

criminal record

Have a valid that is not currently nor has a history of being suspended or revoked;

driver's license

Be of ;

high moral character

Not have a history of prior or repeated marijuana use or alcoholism;

narcotic

Not have a history of ethical, professional, prior employment, motor vehicle, educational, or financial improprieties;

Not have a history of or mental illness;

domestic violence

Not pose a safety and security risk;

Be legally eligible to own and carry a firearm.

Nearly all U.S. states and the federal government have by law adopted minimum-standard standardized training requirements for all officers with powers of arrest within the state. Many standards apply to in-service training as well as entry-level training, particularly in the use of firearms, with periodic re-certification required. These standards often comply with standards promoted by the US Department of Justice and typically require a thorough background check that potential police recruits must take.


A typical set of criteria dictates that they must:[98][99][100]


Repeated interviews, written tests, medical examinations, physical fitness tests, comprehensive background investigations, fingerprinting, drug testing, a police oral board interview, a polygraph examination, and a consultation with a psychologist are common practices used to review the suitability of candidates. Recruiting in most departments is competitive, with more suitable and desirable candidates accepted over lesser ones, and failure to meet some minimum standards disqualifying a candidate entirely. Police oral boards are the most subjective part of the process and often disqualifies the biggest portion of qualified candidates.[101] Departments maintain records of past applicants under review, and refer to them in the case of either reapplication or requests between other agencies.

Pepper spray

Mace

$86,940 for detectives and criminal investigators

$72,580 for transit and railroad police

$65,540 for police and sheriff's patrol officers

$58,040 for fish and game wardens

Police officer certification and licensure in the United States

Police ranks of the United States

Police uniforms in the United States

Police brutality in the United States

List of law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia

List of unarmed African Americans killed by law enforcement officers in the United States

List of U.S. state and local law enforcement agencies

Police academies in the United States

Slave patrol

Related:


General:

United States government, Department of Justice: Law enforcement in the United States, Resources

COPS Office: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is a component of the United States Department of Justice.

POLICE Magazine

The National Sheriffs’ Association

Reserve Organization of America

Law Enforcement Community Relations Service - Department of Justice

Law Enforcement - United States Department of State

National Policing Institute

National Association of Police Organizations

Types of Law Enforcement Agencies - Discover Policing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE)

Federal Bureau of Prisons

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Secret Service

ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

Homeland Security

IRS:CI Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation

Bureau of Prisons