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A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialists, local police officers, prosecutors (who are law enforcement officers but not peace officers), municipal law enforcement officers,
health inspectors ''Health Inspectors'' is an American reality television series on the Food Network. The series debuted on October 26, 2012 and follows Ben Vaughn as he volunteers his time to various restaurateurs around the country, who need to renovate their res ...
, SWAT officers, customs officers,
lawyers A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicitor, ...
, state troopers, federal agents,
secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
s, special investigators,
coast guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
s, border patrol officers, judges, district attorney,
bounty hunters A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
, gendarmerie officers,
immigration officer An immigration officer is a law enforcement official whose job is to ensure that immigration legislation is enforced. This can cover the rules of entry for visa applicants, foreign nationals or those seeking asylum at the border, detecting an ...
s,
private investigators A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
, court officers, probation officers,
parole officer A probation and parole officer is an official appointed or sworn to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probati ...
s, arson investigators, auxiliary officers, animal control officers, game wardens, park rangers, county sheriff's deputies,
constables A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
, marshals, detention officers, correction officers, sworn campus police officers and public safety officers (at public and private institutions). Security guards are not law enforcement officers, unless they have been granted powers to enforce particular laws, such as those accredited under a
community safety accreditation scheme Community safety accreditation schemes enable the chief constable of a Law enforcement in the United Kingdom, police force in the United Kingdom (Except Scotland ) to grant a limited range of police powers to employees of non-police organisation ...
such as a security police officer. Modern legal codes use the term ''peace officer'' (or in some jurisdictions, ''law enforcement officer'') to include every person vested by the legislating state with law enforcement authority—traditionally, anyone "sworn, badged, and armable" who can arrest, or refer such arrest for a criminal
prosecution A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the Civil law (legal system), civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the ...
. Hence, city police officers, county sheriffs' deputies,
state troopers State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
and in some states corrections officers are usually vested with the same authority within a given jurisdiction. Contract security officers may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations, which may include detainment or apprehension authority, including arresting. Peace officers may also be able to perform all duties that a law enforcement officer is tasked with, but may or may not be armed with a weapon.


Canada

In Canada, the
Criminal Code A criminal code (or penal code) is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that might ...
(R.S., c. C-34, s. 2.) defines a ''peace officer'' as: Section (b) allows for designation as a peace officer for a member of the
Correctional Service of Canada The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service Canada or Corrections Canada, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of ...
under the following via the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Act'': Also, provincial legislatures can designate a class of officers (i.e. Conservation Officers, Park Rangers and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement) to be peace officers.


Sri Lanka

Under the ''Code Of Criminal Procedure'' a peace officer includes all police officers, a Divisional Assistant Government Agent and a
Grama Niladhari ''Grama Niladhari'' (''village officers'') ( si, ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී) is a Sri Lankan public official appointed by the central government to carry out administrative duties in a ''grama niladhari'' division, which is a sub-un ...
s appointed by a Government Agent (GA) in writing to perform police duties or keep the peace. A peace officer has the power to arrest a person without a warrant or an order from a magistrate under certain circumstances such as; # who in his presence commits any breach of the peace, # who has been concerned in any cognizable offense or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been so concerned, # having in his possession without lawful excuse any implement of house-breaking, # who has been proclaimed as an offender, # in whose possession anything is found which may reasonably be suspected to be property stolen or fraudulently obtained and who may reasonably be suspected of having committed an offense concerning such thing # who obstructs a peace officer while in the execution of his duty or who has escaped or attempts to escape from lawful custody, # suspected of being a military deserter, # suspected of concealing his presence under circumstances which afford reason to believe that he is taking such precautions intending to commit a cognizable offense, # who has been concerned in or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been concerned in any act committed at any place out of Sri Lanka During the British colonial administration of Ceylon, when uniformed policing by the Ceylon Police Force in rural areas of the island was limited, the local government agent would appoint individuals from wealthy influential families deemed loyal to the crown as a Peace Officers with police powers to keep the peace. This was an influential post, the holder had much control over the people of the area. Commonly a Native Headman (Ralahami) was appointed as the Peace Officer to maintain law and order in rural villages. Following the formation of the State Council of Ceylon in 1931, one of its members,
H. W. Amarasuriya Henry Woodward Amarasuriya (14 October 1904 – 6 March 1981) was a Ceylonese plantation owner, politician, educationist and philanthropist. He was the Cabinet Minister for Trade and Commerce in the cabinet of D. S. Senanayake. A former member ...
, called for an inquiry into the headman system. A commission was formed made up of retired civil servants and lawyers headed by H.M. Wedderburn. The commission reported on reforming the headman system or replacing it with transferable District Revenue Officers. The headman system was abolished as an administrative system, with the titles of
Mudaliyar Thuluva Vellalar (Thondamandala Tuluva Vellalar), also known as Agamudaya Mudaliars and Arcot Mudaliars, is a caste found in northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka, India. They were originally significant lando ...
(Mudali - මුදලි) and
Muhandiram Muhandiram ( si, මුහන්දිරම්, ta, முகாந்திரம்) was a post in the native headmen system in the lower-country (coastal districts) of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during the colonial era. It was awarded as a title o ...
retained by the government to be awarded as honors. This practice remained until the suspension of Ceylonese honors in 1956 by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. The minor headman positions were retained, surviving well into the 1970s when the post of Vidane was replaced with the transferable post of
Grama Niladhari ''Grama Niladhari'' (''village officers'') ( si, ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී) is a Sri Lankan public official appointed by the central government to carry out administrative duties in a ''grama niladhari'' division, which is a sub-un ...
(Village Officer).


United States

United States federal law enforcement officers include the following: # Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agents #
Bureau of Diplomatic Security The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, commonly known as Diplomatic Security (DS), is the security branch of the United States Department of State. It conducts international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, and p ...
special agents # Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and United States Border Patrol agents # Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents #
Federal air marshals The Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Because of the natu ...
# Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents # Federal Flight Deck Officers # Dept of Treasury Federal Reserve Police officers #U.S. Dept of Treasury Secret Service special agents and uniformed officers # Dept. of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Rangers #Dept. of Interior Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement officers # Dept. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents # DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers # Dept. of Interior National Park Service ( park rangers and
forest ranger A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Description "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in thi ...
s) # Dept. of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons
corrections officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
s # Dept. of Homeland Service Transportation Security Administration US Marshals and Deputy Marshals # U.S. Coast Guard officers, warrant officers, and petty officers # United States Postal Service postal inspectors # Federal Bureau of Prisons officers # United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police # United States military police, including the Army Military Police Corps,
Air Force Security Forces Air force ground forces and special forces are ground forces, and may include special operations units that are part of a nation's air force. Airmen assigned to such units may be trained, armed and equipped for ground combat and special oper ...
, Navy master-at-arms, Marine Corps Police, provost marshal officers, and United States Department of Defense police


Arizona

Arizona Revised Statutes
defines a peace officer in Title 13, Section 105, as "any person vested by law with a duty to maintain public order and make arrests and includes a constable." Title 1, Section 215(27) enumerates those who are peace officers in the State of Arizona. It includes: # sheriffs of counties #
constables A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
#
marshals Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
# SWAT officers and policemen of cities and towns # commissioned personnel of the department of public safety and
state troopers State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
# personnel who are employed by the state department of corrections and the department of juvenile corrections and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # peace officers who are appointed by a multi-county water conservation district and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # police officers who are appointed by community college district governing boards and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # police officers who are appointed by the Arizona board of regents and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # police officers who are appointed by the governing body of a public airport according to section 28-8426 and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # peace officers who are appointed by a private post-secondary institution under section 15-1897 and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board # special agents from the office of the attorney general, or of a
county attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...
, and who have received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards and training board Arizona Revised Statute
41-1823
states that except for duly elected or appointed sheriffs and constables, and probation officers in the course of their duties, no person may exercise the authority or perform the duties of a peace officer unless he is certified by the Arizona peace officers standards and training board.


California

Sections 830 through 831.7 of the California Penal Code list persons who are considered peace officers within the State of California. Peace officers include, in addition to many others, # Police; sheriffs, undersheriffs, and their deputies. (§ 830.1 # Investigators of the
California Department of Consumer Affairs The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is a department within the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. DCA's stated mission is to serve the interests of California's consumers by ensuring a standard of profess ...
. (§ 830.3 # Inspectors or investigators employed in the office of a district attorney. (§ 830.1 # The
California Attorney General The attorney general of California is the state attorney general of the Government of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" (Constitution of California, Article V, Section ...
and special agents and investigators of the California Department of Justice. (§ 830.1 # Members of the
California Highway Patrol The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is a state law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and roads and streets outside city limits, and can exercise law enforcem ...
. (§ 830.2 # Special agents of the
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacram ...
. (§ 830.2 # Game wardens of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (§ 830.2 #
California State Park The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...
Peace Officers (§ 830.2 # Investigators of the
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is a government agency of the state of California that regulates the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. Background Upon the repeal of prohibition in 1933 and ...
. (§ 830.2 # Cal Expo Police Officers (§ 830.2 (§ 830.3 # Investigators of the
California Department of Motor Vehicles The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the state agency that registers motor vehicles and boats and issues driver licenses in the U.S. state of California. It regulates new car dealers (through the New Motor Vehicle Board), c ...
. (§ 830.3 # The State Fire Marshal and assistant or deputy state fire marshals. (§ 830.3 # Fraud investigators of the California Department of Insurance. (§ 830.3 # Investigators of the Employment Development Department. (§ 830.3 # A person designated by a local agency as a Park Ranger (§ 830.31 # Members of the University of California Police Department, California State University Police Department or of a California Community College Police Department. (§ 830.2 amp; 830.32 # Members of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Police Department. (§ 830.33 # Any railroad police officer commissioned by the Governor. (§ 830.33 # Welfare fraud Investigators of the California Department of Social Services. (§ 830.35 # County coroners and deputy coroners. (§ 830.35 # Firefighter/Security Officers of the
California Military Department The California Military Department is an agency defined under the California Military and Veterans cod§ 50 It includes the California National Guard (Army, Air, CSG) and Youth and Community Programs. The California Military Department and the ...
. (§ PC 830.37) # Hospital Police Officers with the
California Department of State Hospitals California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
(used to be California Department of Mental Health) and the California Department of Developmental Services (§ 830.38) # County Probation Officers, County Deputy Probation Officers, Parole officers and correctional officers of the
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacram ...
. (§ 830.5 amp; # A security officer for a private university or college deputized or appointed as a reserve deputy sheriff or police officer. (§ 830.75) Most peace officers have jurisdiction throughout the state, but many have limited powers outside their political subdivisions. Some peace officers require special permission to carry firearms. Powers are often limited to the performance of peace officers' primary duties (usually, enforcement of specific laws within their political subdivision); however, most have
power of arrest The power of arrest is a mandate given by a central authority that allows an individual to remove a criminal's (or suspected criminal's) liberty. The power of arrest can also be used to protect a person, or persons from harm or to protect damage t ...
anywhere in the state for any public offense that poses an immediate danger to a person or property. A private person (i.e., ordinary citizen) may arrest another person for an offense committed in the arresting person's presence, or if the other person has committed a felony whether or not in the arresting person's presence (Penal Code § 837), though such an arrest when an offense has not occurred leaves a private person open to criminal prosecution and civil liability for
false arrest False arrest, Unlawful arrest or Wrongful arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges they were held in custody without probable cause, or without an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Although it is possible to sue ...
. A peace officer may: * without an arrest warrant, arrest a person on
probable cause In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which police authorities have reason to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal or the issuing of a search warrant. There is no universally accepted definition o ...
that the person has committed an offense in the officer's presence, or if there is probable cause that a felony has been committed and the officer has probable cause to believe the person to be arrested committed the felony. (Penal Code § 836). * Is immune from civil liability for false arrest if, at the time of arrest, the officer had probable cause to believe the arrest was lawful. Persons are required to comply with certain instructions given by a peace officer, and certain acts (e.g., battery) committed against a peace officer carry more severe penalties than the same acts against a private person. It is unlawful to resist, delay, or obstruct a peace officer in the course of the officer's duties (Penal Code § 148 1]).


New York State

New York State grants peace officers very specific powers under NYS
Criminal Procedure Law Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or i ...
, that they may make warrantless arrests, use physical and deadly force, and issue summonses under section 2.20 of that law. There is a full list of peace officers under Section 2.10 of that law. Below are some examples. # That state has law enforcement agencies contained within existing executive branch departments that employ sworn peace officers to investigate and enforce laws specifically related to the department. Most often, these departments employ sworn Investigators (separate from the New York State Police) that have statewide investigative authority under the department's mission. # The New York State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) is a state investigative agency housed under the State Department of Health. Narcotic Investigators with the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement are sworn peace officers who carry firearms, make arrests, and enforce the New York State Controlled Substances Act, New York State Penal Law, and New York State Public Health Law. # The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance employs sworn peace officers as Excise Tax Investigators and Revenue Crimes Investigators. These State Investigators carry firearms, make arrests, and enforce New York State Penal Law related to tax evasion and other crimes. Excise Tax Investigators may execute Search Warrants. # The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Division of Field Investigation also employ sworn peace officers as State Investigators. All DMV Investigators carry Glock 23 firearms and enforce New York State Penal Law and New York Vehicle and Traffic Law. The DMV Division of Field Investigation investigates auto theft, odometer tampering, fraudulent documents, and identity theft crimes.


Texas

Texas Statutes, Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 2.12, provides:


See also

*
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Museum. It honors 23,229 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout American hist ...
* Peace Officers Memorial Day


References

Notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Law Enforcement Officer Law enforcement in the United States Law enforcement in Canada Legal professions * Law enforcement occupations