19 Facts About Police

Police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder.

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.

Police officers served as interrogators, prosecutors, and court bailiffs, and were responsible for administering punishments handed down by judges.

Police officers acted as prosecutors and carried out punishments imposed by the courts.

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In 1863, the Metropolitan Police were issued with the distinctive custodian helmet, and in 1884 they switched to the use of whistles that could be heard from much further away.

The Metropolitan Police became a model for the police forces in many countries, including the United States and most of the British Empire.

However, whilst the New South Wales Police Force was established in 1862, it was made up from a large number of policing and military units operating within the then Colony of New South Wales and traces its links back to the Royal Marines.

The passing of the Police Regulation Act of 1862 essentially tightly regulated and centralised all of the police forces operating throughout the Colony of New South Wales.

The New South Wales Police Force remains the largest police force in Australia in terms of personnel and physical resources.

The Toronto Police Service was established in 1834, whereas the Service de police de la Ville de Quebec was established in 1840.

Colquhoun's Thames River Police was founded on these principles, and in contrast to the Bow Street Runners, acted as a deterrent by their continual presence on the riverfront, in addition to being able to intervene if they spotted a crime in progress.

Police who wear uniforms make up the majority of a police service's personnel.

Groups in the U S including Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Community Emergency Response Team and the Boy Scout's Police Explorers provide training, traffic and crowd control, disaster response and other policing duties.

Police forces are usually organized and funded by some level of government.

Police argues that transnational police information circuits help to "compose the panic scenes of the security-control society".

Police often have specialist units for handling armed offenders, and similar dangerous situations, and can, in some extreme circumstances, call on the military .

Police vehicles are usually marked with appropriate logos and are equipped with sirens and flashing light bars to aid in making others aware of police presence.

Police forces find themselves under criticism for their use of force, particularly deadly force.