Outline of law enforcement explained

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to law enforcement:

Law enforcement - subsystem of society that promotes adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate rules and norms governing that society. Although the term may encompass entities such as courts and prisons, it most frequently applies to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders.^[1]

Essence of law enforcement

Disciplines

Criminology
- Forensic science
- Penology

Basis of law enforcement

The reasons law enforcement exists:

Crime - breaking the law. Without crime, there would be little need for law enforcement.
Law and order (politics)
- Criminal law
- Criminal justice

Law enforcement agencies

Law enforcement agency (list) - government agency responsible for enforcement of laws. Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while some have other names (e.g. sheriff's office/department; investigative police services in the United States are often called bureaus (e.g. FBI, USMS, ICE, CBP, ATF, DEA, USSS etc.).^[2] ^[3]

Law enforcement agency powers
Types of law enforcement agencies
- Police
  - Airport police
  - Border police
  - County police
  - Federal police
  - National Police
  - State police
  - Local police
  - Military police
  - Private police
  - Secret police
  - State police
  - Tribal Police
- Specialist law enforcement agency
  - Gendarmerie
  - Police tactical unit such as SWAT

Law enforcement officers

Law enforcement by region

History of law enforcement

History of criminal justice^[4]
Police box
History of law enforcement in China
History of law enforcement in South Africa
History of law enforcement in the United Kingdom
History of law enforcement in the United States

Law enforcement equipment

Armor
- Ballistic vest
- Shield
  - Ballistic shield
  - Riot shield
Police dog
Police duty belt
Police radio
Police vehicle
Policeware
Police psychology
Weapons
- Club
- Taser
- Firearm
- Handgun
- Riot gun
Uniform
Uniforms and equipment of the British police

Law enforcement techniques and procedures

Criminal investigation

Criminal Investigation - applied science involving the study of facts, used to identify, locate and prove the guilt of a criminal.^[5] Modern-day criminal investigations commonly employ many scientific techniques known collectively as forensic science.

Components of a crime

Criminal - person who committed a crime
Evidence
- Forensic science
Suspect
Victim

Law enforcement training

Law enforcement issues

Law enforcement organizations

Law enforcement organization

Law enforcement leaders and scholars

External links

FBI page of law enforcement resources

Notes and References

Kären M. Hess, Christine Hess Orthmann, Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (2008), p. 1.
Web site: Types of police / law enforcement agencies - Discover Policing . discoverpolicing.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101005110315/http://discoverpolicing.org/whats_like/?fa=types_jobs . 2010-10-05.
Web site: Law Enforcement and Corrections-Related Agencies USA.gov . www.usa.gov . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120128182754/http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicSafety/Law-Enforcement.shtml . 2012-01-28.
Web site: The Early Days of American Law Enforcement . www.nleomf.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927101706/http://www.nleomf.org/museum/news/newsletters/online-insider/2012/April-2012/early-days-american-law-enforcement-april-2012.html . 2013-09-27.
Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation (Sixth Edition). Charles E. O'Hara and Gregory L. O'Hara; 1994;