The US police. Title in the US police. US Police Codes

The US police is a fragmented system. It consists of 19 thousand police departments of general jurisdiction, as well as of 21 thousand offices of special jurisdiction. They operate both at the local and federal levels. At the same time, about half of the local departments have only 10 employees.

The term "US police" as such in America is missing. Each state has its own police department, which is independent of others. Their structure in different states can differ substantially. Nevertheless, the main common features can still be singled out. The state police, for example, control mainly the main lines or intervene on request in separate cases, when circumstances require it. But at the same time, heads of administrations, sheriffs and other heads of polling stations are not subordinate to it. In some states, US police have special units created by the type of environmental police, as well as similar ones. Their employees have the same rights as ordinary policemen. In some cities there are Auxiliary Police Officers. Speaking in our way, these are the vigilantes. Consider in more detail the structure that the US police have.

US Police Structure

The federal system of the United States presupposes independence from the state organs of the local government. The former, in turn, carry out activities independently of the federal government. Their own investigation bodies are available at every level. Federal investigates crimes that are attributed by law to the jurisdiction and jurisdiction of the federal government. Existing state investigative agencies deal with crimes attributed to the competence of the authorities of individual states. In the American government there are special departments - state security, justice. They are divided, in turn, into a Cabinet appointed by the President and to various bureaus. The FBI is an office located within the Department of Justice. It is a federal agency operating throughout the country. However, in the United States there is no common for the whole territory of the state police. A border patrol, for example, is a unit that is part of the Department of State Security. It is connected with the immigration and customs services, the fight against smuggling and drug control. State police and road patrols operate in state governments. The United States is divided into counties. In some of them, the sheriff is elected for 2 or 4 years, while in others the police are appointed. Counties - education, consisting of cities, in each of which the chief is appointed.

Law enforcement agencies

In the US, the main agencies with federal status are the Federal Treasury, the Ministry of Justice and the National Postal Service. Their task is to limit the activities of governors in regulating interstate commerce, taxation and compliance with laws. The agencies of the Ministry of Justice include the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). It deals with cases related to kidnapping, bank robberies, violations of laws. There are other agencies.

US Traffic Police

The main duty of patrol officers is to investigate road accidents and road safety. These functions in the US are not separated into separate management, as in some other countries. Special patrols operating in big cities (Washington, New York) can deal with serious accidents and incidents, and monopatruli can be fined for violating traffic rules and regulating traffic. Officers on the border road sections of regions and states, which are the busiest, have the right to regulate the movement of cars. These are the main duties that the US traffic police carry out. A photo of her officers is presented above.

Traffic police officers have an expanded jurisdiction that allows them to carry out their activities outside the state. Public freelance inspectors work in many cities. They monitor minor violations, in particular, monitor compliance with parking rules.

Private security services

In the US, there are thousands of them. In the activities of these services involved a large number of employees. They carry out police work. Their use is currently increasing. Often, large corporations organize their own security services, which fight against theft, fraud, robbery, and corporate espionage within the company.

Civilian patrols are organized in some cities. They carry out mainly preventive activities, curbing minor violations. They can be used during natural disasters, riots and speeches, as well as in other cases when the personnel of the police department will be missed.

Military Police

Its creation began more than two hundred years ago. The US military police became an independent unit in September 1941. Taking into account the experience gained during the numerous modern armed conflicts in which the US military participated, the practical tasks solved by this division were adjusted and clarified. At present, it is being reformed and developing dynamically.

Police as a service of social services

Every year the role of the American police as a service of social services increases. In the US, it is practically the only emergency service that operates around the clock, with broad powers. Sometimes they are discretionary.

Legal consolidation of activities

The police institute is certainly important for the developed democracy of the states. Nevertheless, at the federal-constitutional level, he practically did not receive legislative consolidation. This institution is only indirectly mentioned in the constitutions of several states. Police formations found legal and regulatory support in the district and municipal legislative acts.

Career in the US Police

Work in the US police is prestigious, although not very high-paid. Candidates are subject to certain requirements that need to be met. In order to become a policeman, you need to have US citizenship, be between the ages of 21 to 35, have no criminal record, and it is also desirable not to have any offenses at all. You have to go to the police academy. Preference is given to those who served in the army. After its termination the policeman starts the work with patrolling of streets. Note that this moment is mandatory for everyone, so even employees with the highest ranks, once patrolled the streets. This is done to ensure that all police officers, from the rank and file to the general, are well aware of the specifics of the work.

We will tell a little about what constitutes a weapon of the US police and the equipment of its employees. At the end of the academy, a service weapon is issued . The choice can be made from four pistols. In New York, interestingly, according to the law of the state, a police officer has the right to carry any weapons with him, but only authorized ones can be used. The form in many departments, as a rule, is issued to the police. However, in some, an employee of 1 thousand dollars is allocated annually to her. The form of the US police is quite convenient - many pockets. It happens summer and winter. All US policemen are required to wear a special identification badge on which their personal number is written. If he is of silver color - before you an officer, and if gold - an employee with a higher rank. US police cars come in several models and brands. The most common are Chevrolet Impala and Ford Crown Victoria (pictured below). Other US police cars are Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Explorer, 15-seat Ford Econoline and others.

For about three years, the period of work in the rank of officer continues (it should be noted that everyone gets it who managed to graduate from the police academy). After that, the employee can become a detective or go to the department in one direction or another.

In the American police service lasts twenty years. After that the employee can retire. At the age of 55, there is a maximum limit for work. A policeman after retirement can move to another state (often Florida) and settle down here in the police department. At the same time, he will continue to receive a pension from his old management.

Two types of police service

Two types of police service exist in the United States. The first one is a general service. The duties of its employees are similar to those of local police departments. The second is a limited service. Its employees are engaged mainly in patrol and search activities. In the US, police services consist of three main links: the local police, state police and the federal police.

Local police

It is subordinate only to local authorities. Its powers extend only to the appropriate county or other local unit. There are two types of local police: county police services and municipal city police. Their role is very significant. Suffice it to say that the local police are the most numerous. About 90% of the US police force falls precisely on its share. Its duties are as follows: suppression of offenses, investigation of crimes, regulation of traffic, as well as administrative and police control and execution of the morality police function. The city police department in the US is usually organized on the same basis as the federal government departments are formed. The police system also includes the prosecutor's office, the service of supervision and control, the courts.

Sheriff in local government

In the local administration, the chief of police is accountable and subordinate to the mayor. The Sheriff, who is elected by the population for 2 or 4 years, heads the county police services. His duties are to search for and detain criminals. The local prison is run by the sheriff. In rural parishes and districts, the police service is represented by elected constables. Their institution, like the institution of sheriffs, is rooted in the past of the country. To a great extent, today he has outlived himself, since the fight against crime, which is growing, requires professionalism. And they do not have elected constables and sheriffs. The constables in many counties are now replaced by ordinary police forces.

Commissar, chief, superintendent

The commissioner, chief or superintendent of the police is the executive head of a police body. Usually he is appointed by the head of the city, mayor, or local legislature. The head in large police departments is elected by popular vote, or he can take this post by making a career (after passing from patrol officer to captain, and then becoming assistant head).

Sheriff in the district office

The head of the police department in the district is usually called a sheriff. He is elected to this position and has the right to appoint his deputies. Functions that are unrelated to the municipal police are performed by the sheriff's administration. This is security during court sessions, the maintenance of a district prison, the publication of various legal laws, including court orders and decisions.

Hierarchy of titles

The titles in the US police form a hierarchy - sergeant, lieutenant, captain, etc. It may differ slightly depending on the size of the department. Ranks in the US police are rarely appropriated for seniority. Approximately 90% of employees because of this retire, still in the position of an officer. As you remember, in the United States this is the youngest position automatically assigned to a person who joined the police. The very word "officer" is not a military rank, as many believe. It's just a term that means "employee", "police officer". The title of a detective, by the way, is essentially the same officer's position. Officers of the police, who served for about three to five years in the organs, can become sergeants if they pass a special examination. Then the ranks go on increasing: after the sergeant - lieutenant, then the captain, etc. Between the police departments can not be transferred just like this. In this case, the career will have to start from the very beginning.

US Police Codes

The United States police use special codes to communicate with each other. Throughout the world, thanks to American films, code 10 is known. It was coined more than 50 years ago. Then the employees of the security services had only one radio wave, so the second of the ether at the time was worth its weight in gold. That is why special conditional codes were developed for the US police, which reduced the time of conversation and made more effective work. However, there was a problem - in different departments the same codes sometimes meant different things. In the communication system, attempts were made to restore order, but each time they ended in failure: it was not possible to achieve total standardization. The problem was also aggravated by the fact that the codes changed over time. For example, if in the early 1940's. The message "10-24" could be translated as "an attack on a site, it is necessary to arrive urgently on the scene of all crews", but now this code in the majority of staff informs the police about the task. One more example. The code "10-82" once meant the need to reserve a room with a bathroom. Now it can be deciphered, depending on the situation, as a "traffic light" or an order to arrest and interrogate the suspect on the spot.

Until some time, however, very few people were bothered by all these discrepancies. Not so often major joint operations were carried out, and if they were carried out, they usually did not require immediate response from the staff, and the police therefore communicated with each other in the usual English. However, on September 11, 2001, problems arose. Then the object of the attack was the Pentagon building, located in Virginia. Policemen who arrived on the spot from various units, found that they can not understand each other. In 2005, the situation with the famous code 10 reached the scale of a national catastrophe, when thousands of policemen from various states and cities were sent to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. As a result, a campaign was launched to eradicate the ill-fated code. Virginia became the first state in which its use was banned.

So, you learned the basic facts about the US police. As you can see, its system differs significantly from the system that exists in our country. The more interesting it seems to our compatriots.