U.S. Police Force and Other Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agencies in the United States come under the jurisdiction of many different authorities at federal, state, county and municipal levels of government. There is no national police force, although there are several federal law enforcement agencies.

The best known of these is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. It is charged with gathering and reporting facts and compiling evidence in cases involving federal jurisdiction. Also part of the Department of Justice is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) which is the lead federal agency in enforcing narcotics laws and regulations.

General information is available from:

International Association of Chiefs of Police
515 N. Washington St
Alexandria
VA 22314
Tel. + (703) 836-6767
Fax.+ (703) 836-4543

American Police Hall of Fame and Museum describes itself as the nation's only memorial and museum honoring all police in federal, state, county and local departments.

American Police Hall Of Fame & Museum
3801 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami
FL 33137
Tel: + (305) 573-0070
Fax: + (305) 573-9819

Most states maintain police departments but state police force activities are usually concentrated on highway patrol and other traffic work. County governments, of which there are more than 3,000, maintain police forces under the command of a sheriff. There is much variation in the scope of the authority and the size of these forces. In some states, particularly those in the South and West, the county sheriff's office wields considerable power, but in others this power is restricted by the jurisdiction of the city police departments. At local or municipal level, city police departments encompass all areas of police work from traffic control and detection to laboratory and forensic.

Employees of most American law enforcement agencies must hold U.S. citizenship

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20535-0001
Tel: + (202) 324-3000
Fax: + (202) 324-4705

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
600-700 Army-Navy Drive
Arlington VA 22202
Tel:+ (202) 307-8000
Fax+: (202) 307-4778

National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
1450 Duke Street
Alexandria VA 22314-2490
Tel: + (703) 836-7827
Fax:+ (703) 683-6541