What Police and Detectives Do
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who
are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of
possible crimes.
Uniformed police officers typically do the following:
• Enforce laws
• Respond to emergency and non
emergency calls
• Patrol assigned areas
• Conduct traffic stops and issue citations
• Obtain warrants and arrest suspects
• Write detailed reports and fill out forms
• Prepare cases and testify in court
Detectives and criminal investigators typically do the following: •
Investigate crimes
• Collect and secure evidence from crime scenes
• Conduct interviews with suspects and witnesses
• Observe the activities of suspects
• Obtain warrants and arrest suspects
• Write detailed reports and fill out forms
• Prepare cases and testify in court
Police officers pursue and apprehend people who break the law. They then warn,
cite, or arrest them. Most police officers patrol their jurisdictions and investigate
suspicious activity. They also respond to calls, issue traffic tickets, and give first aid to
accident victims.
Detectives perform investigative duties, such as gathering facts and
collecting evidence.
The daily activities of police and detectives vary with their
occupational specialty, such as canine units and special weapons
and tactics (SWAT). Whether they work at a
local, state, or federal agency also determines job duties; and
duties differ among federal agencies, because they enforce
different aspects of the law. Regardless of job
duties or location, police officers and detectives at all
levels must write reports and keep detailed records that will be
needed if they testify in court. Most carry law
enforcement tools, such as radios, handcuffs, and guns.
The following are examples of types of police and
detectives who work in state and local law enforcement: State
and Local Law Enforcement
Uniformed police officers have general law enforcement duties. They wear
uniforms that allow the public to easily recognize them as police officers. They have
regular patrols and also respond to emergency and non-emergency calls.
Police agencies are usually organized into geographic districts, with uniformed officers
assigned to patrol a specific area. Officers in large agencies often patrol with a
partner. During patrols, officers look for any signs of criminal activity and may conduct
searches and arrest suspected criminals. They may also respond to emergency calls,
investigate complaints, and enforce traffic laws.
Some police officers work only on a specific type of crime, such as narcotics.
Officers, especially those working in large departments, may work in special units,
such as horseback, motorcycle, canine corps, and special weapons and tactics
(SWAT) teams. Typically, officers must work as patrol officers for a certain number of
years before they may be appointed to one of these units.
Some city police agencies are involved in community policing, a philosophy of
bringing police and members of the community together to prevent crime. A
neighborhood watch program is one type of community policing.
Some agencies have special geographic and enforcement responsibilities.
Examples include public college and university police forces, public school police,
and transit police. Most law enforcement workers in special agencies are
uniformed officers.
State police officers, sometimes called state troopers or highway patrol officers,
have many of the same duties as other police officers, but they may spend more
time enforcing traffic laws and issuing traffic citations.
State police officers have authority to work anywhere in the state and are frequently
called on to help other law enforcement agencies, especially those in rural areas or
small towns.
Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs enforce the law on the county level. Sheriffs’ departments
tend to be relatively small. Sheriffs usually are elected by the public and do the same
work as a local or county police chief. Some sheriffs’ departments do the same work
as officers in urban police
departments. Others mainly
operate the county jails and
provide services in local courts.
Police and sheriffs’ deputies
who provide security in city
and county courts are
sometimes called bailiffs.
Detectives and criminal
investigators are uniformed or plainclothes investigators who gather facts and collect
evidence for criminal cases. They conduct interviews, examine records, observe the activities
of suspects, and participate in raids and arrests. Detectives usually specialize in investigating
one type of crime, such as homicide or fraud. Detectives are typically assigned cases on a
rotating basis and work on them until an arrest and trial are completed or until the case is
dropped.
[Via United States Department of Labor]
