Eugh, I guess we can never really be true friends.

 

4 real tho. Hate was the wrong word. I don't hate bikes. I just don't like 'em very much :D

 

4 real tho. Hate was the wrong word. I don't hate bikes. I just don't like 'em very much :D

With that picture, we'll never be friends. Ever.

don't make me cry

the local PD and Sheriff first.

 

then NH State Police

 

last probs the Federal Protective Service (yes i know they are not technically a LEA but they are still a form of LE)

Their differences are jurisdictions and duties. 

 

Police Officers work out of a Police Department, which is responsible for a City level. They have jurisdiction only within the city. (This means they can only perform their duties such as arresting within the confines of the city boundary). 

 

Sheriffs Department is the primary law enforcement for a county level. (States are divided into counties which contain cities). Depending where you are in the United States, Sheriffs Departments have different duties. Up North where I live, they're primarily responsible for maintaining county prisons and lockups. However, in the South and West of the US, they traditionally are assigned a patrol responsibility as well. The Sheriff and his Deputies only have jurisdiction within a county. 

 

As you know, the US is split into 50 different states. Every State has a State Police, which is responsible for anything and everything more or less. State Police generally are responsible for protecting State buildings and infrastructure, in particular Highways. Very rarely are highways patrolled by anyone else but that State's State Police. Since the State Police are usually the biggest in the state, they are also responsible for rural policing, for communities that don't have police. They also provide disaster type responses for cities that cannot afford such equipment needed to respond with. State Troopers have jurisdiction throughout the entire state. 

 

The United States does not have a federal police force unlike many other countries. The FBI is the closest thing to it. Generally, where a Federal Police Response is needed, the National Guard of that State will be called in with addition to federal agencies such as ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, ect. 

 

Thank you very much for detailed explanation .

 

Cheers

 

Their differences are jurisdictions and duties. 

 

Police Officers work out of a Police Department, which is responsible for a City level. They have jurisdiction only within the city. (This means they can only perform their duties such as arresting within the confines of the city boundary). 

 

Sheriffs Department is the primary law enforcement for a county level. (States are divided into counties which contain cities). Depending where you are in the United States, Sheriffs Departments have different duties. Up North where I live, they're primarily responsible for maintaining county prisons and lockups. However, in the South and West of the US, they traditionally are assigned a patrol responsibility as well. The Sheriff and his Deputies only have jurisdiction within a county. 

 

As you know, the US is split into 50 different states. Every State has a State Police, which is responsible for anything and everything more or less. State Police generally are responsible for protecting State buildings and infrastructure, in particular Highways. Very rarely are highways patrolled by anyone else but that State's State Police. Since the State Police are usually the biggest in the state, they are also responsible for rural policing, for communities that don't have police. They also provide disaster type responses for cities that cannot afford such equipment needed to respond with. State Troopers have jurisdiction throughout the entire state. 

 

The United States does not have a federal police force unlike many other countries. The FBI is the closest thing to it. Generally, where a Federal Police Response is needed, the National Guard of that State will be called in with addition to federal agencies such as ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, ect. 

 

To add to that, in areas where the Sheriffs Department/Office is confined to managing prisons and courts, the PD usually takes the role of county-wide general policing.  Which department takes that role depends almost entirely on the level of urbanization and wealth of the county itself.  Also, sometimes while a County or City PD exists, official towns will have their own small PD.  This is usually only the case with towns that are associated with the county or city government instead of being directly part of it.  It can be a little confusing.

 

For example, take my local county.  We have a Sheriffs Office and County PD, where as the next county over only has a Sheriffs Office.  In my county the PD is the main police force and the Sheriffs Office is charge of the prisons and courts (although they do have full county jurisdiction because the PD was formed from them).  There are a few towns and small cities with their own PD within the county that operate in cooperation with the county law enforcement.  The county seat is a small city that is governmentaly independent so it has its own PD.  The county is like this because it is highly suburban and has a few towns or cities that are either completely or semi independent of the county government.

Edited October 26, 201411 yr by RagnrokLCPC

Troopers and Sheriff Deputies.

 

Troopers are trained and are instilled military-like discipline. And it shows.

 

Sheriff's Deputies are trained better.

 

City PD's are a joke. The only exception IMO are a few larger agencies, such as LAPD, or LVMPD (which is actually a Sheriff's Office in disguise).

 

 

State Highway Patrol! There is no other way to go! Obviously im All for The Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Their differences are jurisdictions and duties. 

 

Police Officers work out of a Police Department, which is responsible for a City level. They have jurisdiction only within the city. (This means they can only perform their duties such as arresting within the confines of the city boundary). 

 

Sheriffs Department is the primary law enforcement for a county level. (States are divided into counties which contain cities). Depending where you are in the United States, Sheriffs Departments have different duties. Up North where I live, they're primarily responsible for maintaining county prisons and lockups. However, in the South and West of the US, they traditionally are assigned a patrol responsibility as well. The Sheriff and his Deputies only have jurisdiction within a county. 

 

As you know, the US is split into 50 different states. Every State has a State Police, which is responsible for anything and everything more or less. State Police generally are responsible for protecting State buildings and infrastructure, in particular Highways. Very rarely are highways patrolled by anyone else but that State's State Police. Since the State Police are usually the biggest in the state, they are also responsible for rural policing, for communities that don't have police. They also provide disaster type responses for cities that cannot afford such equipment needed to respond with. State Troopers have jurisdiction throughout the entire state. 

 

The United States does not have a federal police force unlike many other countries. The FBI is the closest thing to it. Generally, where a Federal Police Response is needed, the National Guard of that State will be called in with addition to federal agencies such as ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, ect.

As someone else mentioned, some counties have county police departments. Where they exist, they patrol the whole county (acting roughly like most local police departments), and (depending on where you are and how much of the county is incorporated) may be essentially the main law enforcement agency in the county (e.g. where I'm from, there are only a handful of incorporated towns, and the county government handles most local government functions for most of the county, so [for instance] the county PD is what most people in the county consider "the police".

For National Guard: Eh, they seem to only really be called in for cases of civil unrest (aside from their substantial role in dealing with natural disasters); I'm not sure what federal police do elsewhere, but National Guardsmen don't perform a traditional police role (for instance, they wouldn't be called out to track down one person; they're called out if there are mass riots that need large quantities of people carrying large guns to encourage people to obey the law). Guardsmen are not police officers; they are soldiers. Also, note that the National Guard are generally under state, not federal, control; the Guard under federal control is severely restricted in performing law enforcement acts (it can do it in some cases, but it's more complicated than when under state control).

For police actions, you're much more likely to see the FBI (by the time there's a huge standoff, odds are a federal crime has been committed), but they have to be specifically called out (they don't patrol), and can't even arrest for state crimes in general -- if you commit murder in front of an FBI agent, they can only make a citizen's arrest in most states, unless you killed a federal employee or witness or otherwise violated some federal law. In many countries most criminal law is national; in the US, federal law mostly covers more regulatory-type matters, and most "regular" crimes are state.

I'm biased but NYPD

As someone else mentioned, some counties have county police departments. Where they exist, they patrol the whole county (acting roughly like most local police departments), and (depending on where you are and how much of the county is incorporated) may be essentially the main law enforcement agency in the county (e.g. where I'm from, there are only a handful of incorporated towns, and the county government handles most local government functions for most of the county, so [for instance] the county PD is what most people in the county consider "the police".

For National Guard: Eh, they seem to only really be called in for cases of civil unrest (aside from their substantial role in dealing with natural disasters); I'm not sure what federal police do elsewhere, but National Guardsmen don't perform a traditional police role (for instance, they wouldn't be called out to track down one person; they're called out if there are mass riots that need large quantities of people carrying large guns to encourage people to obey the law). Guardsmen are not police officers; they are soldiers. Also, note that the National Guard are generally under state, not federal, control; the Guard under federal control is severely restricted in performing law enforcement acts (it can do it in some cases, but it's more complicated than when under state control).

For police actions, you're much more likely to see the FBI (by the time there's a huge standoff, odds are a federal crime has been committed), but they have to be specifically called out (they don't patrol), and can't even arrest for state crimes in general -- if you commit murder in front of an FBI agent, they can only make a citizen's arrest in most states, unless you killed a federal employee or witness or otherwise violated some federal law. In many countries most criminal law is national; in the US, federal law mostly covers more regulatory-type matters, and most "regular" crimes are state.

 

Nice response. CP702 is right about County, I overlooked County Police Departments because I live in the north, where it's not common to see a County Patrol division. (Either local PD will assist towns w/o Police, or the State). 

 

One thing to add on about the National Guard, the one reason I mentioned the National Guard (Which yes, is directly under the control of that State's governor, with addition to the State Police), is I live in Massachusetts, and when the Boston Bombings happened the National Guard was deployed to provide the most basic of police functions like guarding subway (T) stations, and to provide their resources like makeshift command centers and Humvee vehicles. 

 

Since the National Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Governor of that state, he can basically deploy them to do whatever (Assist Police, Quell Riots, Disaster Relief). I always thought of them as the "Armed Forces" of the State, like how Obama is head of the armed forces of the country. 

I don't know about you guys...But I have to go with the Rhode Island State Troopers. 

Ähm. ... There's only one Police Agency in my country. And only one Fire DP. There is no difference between the Hannover PD, the Hamburg PD or the Berlin PD. All uniforms are blue. All emergency vehicles are equipted with blue lights. Only the state of Bavaria still uses the green/white color sheme for the police vehicles and the uniform is green. So i'm with the CHP, LAPD, LCPD, ACPI and NYPD.

The West Virginia State Police of course!!!!! Some of the greatest men and women you will ever have the privilege to meet, and they are very well trained. It is state police and not highway patrol. The difference is that state police agencies are centralized, and highway patrols are de-centralized.

Troopers and Sheriff Deputies.

 

Troopers are trained and are instilled military-like discipline. And it shows.

 

Sheriff's Deputies are trained better.

 

City PD's are a joke. The only exception IMO are a few larger agencies, such as LAPD, or LVMPD (which is actually a Sheriff's Office in disguise).

In my state (West Virginia) All agencies city, sheriff, and state go to the same academy. The state police have a cadet class which is 32 weeks long, and the city and sheriffs are put together. They are called basic classes and they are 16 or 6 weeks... I can't remember, its one of those.

I grew up outside of Chicago for the first 20 years of my life and moved to New Jersey 12 years ago. Honestly, NJSP are some of the most respectful and professional members of Law Enforcement I have ever met.

I was born in near Los Angeles, so i think Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department :3

Oregon State Police is best state police.

"I don't want a large Farva, I want a god damned liter o' cola."