A group of people tasked with the protection of life and property and the enforcement of law. Police work is necessary in all societies to some extent, but is most effective in small communities, where informal institutions of socialization and control (family, school, church) are more potent. In larger communities, policing becomes more complex and requires more organization.
In the modern sense of police, the word derived from Middle French police policy (Policy entry 1), which was itself coined in the seventeenth century as a concretization of an earlier more abstract sense of “public order.” Despite their broad and varied roles in society, all forms of policing share the common goal of protecting citizens and reducing crime.
Specialized preventive and detective groups, known as Specialist Investigation Departments (or SIDUs) exist within many police departments for the purpose of dealing with specific types of crimes, such as traffic law enforcement, K9/use of police dogs, crash investigation, homicide, or fraud; or situations that require special skills, including underwater search, aviation, and explosive disposal (“bomb squad”). In some forces, detective officers are given a higher rank than regular patrol officers, while in others, they have equal status.
As a citizen, you can contribute to the effectiveness of your local police force by being assertive and confident. Criminals target meek, mild, weak, and unfocused people; they are easier to take advantage of. You can also help your local police by avoiding displays of overt authority, such as driving marked cars home or leaving them parked in your driveway, and never posting photographs of yourself in uniform on your social media sites.