WHY ARE THERE SO MANY TYPES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT? (FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLICE EXPLAINED)

Summary

This video explores the structure and roles of different levels of law enforcement in the United States. It covers federal, state, and local police agencies, highlighting their jurisdictions and responsibilities. The video explains how various police forces, from FBI agents to city police, work together and outlines key differences in training, standards, and focus areas. Using entertaining examples, the video also demonstrates how police jurisdictions function and how officers can collaborate across boundaries. The video ends by recommending a book on the U.S. Marshals and promoting an Audible trial offer.

Takeaways

• 👮 Police in the U.S. operate at different levels: federal, state, and local, with each having distinct responsibilities.
• 🌍 Federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI, DEA, and ATF enforce federal laws and are overseen by the Department of Justice (DOJ) or Homeland Security (DHS).
• 🚓 State police, such as the California Highway Patrol, enforce state laws and often focus on highways and rural areas. Their jurisdiction is limited to their respective states.
• 🏙️ Local police, which include city, county, and town police, enforce local laws and ordinances, with larger forces like the NYPD or LAPD handling more specialized tasks.
• 🔍 Jurisdiction limits apply, but police can continue to pursue a suspect outside of their jurisdiction under the 'Fresh Pursuit' doctrine.
• 💰 Federal law enforcement is much larger and better funded than state and local departments, with a combined DOJ and DHS budget of $16.1 billion in 2022.
• 🌱 Despite state legalization of marijuana, federal law enforcement can still make arrests for possession since it remains illegal under federal law.
• 🏞️ Rural areas, especially in states like Alaska, often rely heavily on state police, as local police may be limited or absent.
• 👥 Law enforcement agencies at different levels frequently collaborate, such as in federal task forces where local, state, and federal officers work together.
• 📚 Police training and entry requirements vary by department, with federal agencies typically requiring higher education levels and specialized training.

Q & A

Why are there so many different police departments in the United States?

The United States has various levels of law enforcement to enforce laws across different jurisdictions. These levels include federal, state, county, city, and town police, each responsible for maintaining law and order within their designated areas.

What are some examples of federal law enforcement agencies?

Some examples of federal law enforcement agencies include the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, Border Patrol, Secret Service, and the ATF. These agencies enforce federal laws and often have specialized areas of focus.

How does jurisdiction work between different types of law enforcement agencies?

Jurisdiction limits where a law enforcement agency can typically enforce the law. Local police enforce laws within their city, town, or county. State police enforce laws across the entire state, and federal agencies handle cases that involve federal law or cross state lines.

Can state and local police enforce federal laws?

While state and local police primarily enforce state and local laws, they may also enforce federal laws if necessary. However, federal agencies have primary responsibility for enforcing federal law.

What is 'fresh pursuit' and how does it affect police jurisdiction?

Fresh pursuit allows a police officer to continue pursuing a suspect even if they leave the officer's initial jurisdiction. For example, if a crime is committed within a town, the town police can chase the suspect outside their town boundaries under the fresh pursuit doctrine.

How do federal law enforcement agencies differ from state and local agencies?

Federal law enforcement agencies enforce federal laws and often focus on specific areas such as drugs (DEA) or firearms (ATF). They operate under the Department of Justice or Department of Homeland Security. State and local agencies enforce state and local laws, with state police handling statewide issues and local police focusing on specific cities or counties.

What is the primary function of state police in the United States?

State police enforce state laws and often handle traffic enforcement on highways. They may also serve as the primary law enforcement in rural areas where local police presence is limited.

Why don't all U.S. states have state police?

Most U.S. states have some form of state police, but Hawaii is an exception as it does not have a statewide police force. Instead, law enforcement is handled by county agencies.

How do local police forces vary in size and function across different areas?

Local police forces vary depending on the size and needs of the community they serve. For example, large cities like New York City have police departments with thousands of officers, while small towns may have only one or two officers. The size and function of the force depend on the population and funding available.

Do federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies ever work together?

Yes, different levels of law enforcement frequently collaborate, especially in task forces designed to tackle specific types of crime. For example, local, state, and federal officers may work together in a joint task force to address issues like drug trafficking or terrorism.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 The Complexity of Police Agencies in the U.S.

The opening of the video introduces the complex structure of law enforcement in the U.S., highlighting that the term 'police' encompasses various levels of agencies, including federal, state, county, city, and town police. The script sets up a humorous scenario of being pulled over in the middle of filming to transition into a discussion about why there are so many different types of police departments. Examples of federal law enforcement agencies (like the FBI and DEA), state police, and local police departments are given, emphasizing that each level has different roles and jurisdictions.

05:02

🚔 Jurisdiction: Who Chases You Where?

This section uses an entertaining narrative of a bank robbery in Kentucky to explain how police jurisdiction works. The story highlights how town, city, county, state, and federal police have different levels of authority based on geographic boundaries, with each type of police stepping back once the suspect leaves their area. It introduces the concept of 'Fresh Pursuit,' where police can chase a suspect beyond their immediate jurisdiction, debunking the idea that police stop pursuing just because someone crosses a boundary. This leads to a broader explanation of how different types of police respond in cooperation during high-stakes scenarios.

10:02

👮‍♂️ The Role and Structure of Federal Police

This part focuses on federal law enforcement, explaining that these agencies, often referred to as 'agents' rather than 'police,' enforce federal law and are overseen by the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It notes that federal agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, and ATF, are the largest and best-funded in the U.S., and have specialized functions for handling various federal crimes. A specific example is provided regarding marijuana laws, demonstrating how federal and state laws can conflict, with federal agents still being able to arrest individuals even if a state legalizes a substance.

🚓 State Police: Enforcing State Laws

The focus shifts to state police, explaining that although their names vary (e.g., State Troopers, Highway Patrol), their functions are generally the same: enforcing the laws of their respective states. The script highlights that state police focus on patrolling highways and handling rural areas, often acting as the only police force in large, sparsely populated regions. It also traces the historical roots of state police back to the Texas Rangers, one of the first statewide law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

🏙️ Local Police: Counties, Cities, and Towns

This section breaks down local law enforcement, covering county sheriffs, city police (municipal police), and town police. It emphasizes that while local police have smaller jurisdictions, their size and strength can vary significantly, with large departments like the NYPD having tens of thousands of officers. It also notes that localities without their own police departments are often supported by state or county police. The script touches on the variety of local police agencies that weren't fully explored in the video, such as school and transit police.

🔄 Cooperation Across Levels of Law Enforcement

This paragraph highlights the collaborative nature of law enforcement in the U.S., noting that despite differences in jurisdiction, local, state, and federal police often work together on task forces and in high-stakes scenarios. Examples are given of how police forces from different areas and levels can coordinate to tackle crimes, but with the caveat that there are still degrees of separation; for example, county police generally don't patrol cities unless necessary.

📚 Different Training and Entry Standards

This part explains that different levels of law enforcement require varying levels of education and training. For example, federal agencies often require four-year degrees, while state and local agencies might only require a high school diploma or two-year degree. It also describes how training focuses on the specific needs of each agency, such as park police receiving geographical training. However, all law enforcement officers, no matter their level, are peace officers with the authority to enforce laws.

🔍 Variability Across Local Departments

The video script concludes by explaining that while federal agencies are more uniform in their operations, there is significant variability across local police departments in different states and cities. Each department has its own unique procedures and standards, and the more local you go, the more differences you’ll find. The video’s goal is to provide viewers with a basic understanding of how federal, state, and local law enforcement work.

🎧 Audible Sponsor and Final Message

The closing part promotes Audible as the sponsor of the video, recommending a specific book on the U.S. Marshals for those interested in learning more about law enforcement. The host encourages viewers to check out Audible and invites them to subscribe to the channel and support it via Patreon. The segment ends with a playful sign-off, thanking viewers and acknowledging YouTube members and Patreon supporters.

Keywords

💡Federal Police

Federal police are law enforcement officers that enforce national or federal laws, as opposed to state or local laws. The video mentions federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and Secret Service. They operate under the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and have jurisdiction across the entire United States. An example given is their ability to enforce federal laws like the prohibition of marijuana, even in states where it may be legal.

💡State Police

State police are responsible for enforcing laws within their respective states. While each state may have different names for their law enforcement agencies, such as Highway Patrol or State Troopers, they share similar functions. The video explains how state police focus on traffic enforcement and general law enforcement in rural areas, but they only enforce their state’s laws. A fun fact in the video mentions that the Texas Rangers were the first statewide police force.

💡Local Police

Local police refer to law enforcement agencies operating at the city, county, or town level, such as the NYPD or LAPD. They are responsible for enforcing state laws, local ordinances, and maintaining order in their respective jurisdictions. The video clarifies that local police can range from small-town police forces to large departments with thousands of officers, such as the NYPD, which is larger than many countries’ militaries.

💡Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction refers to the geographic area or the range of legal authority a police department has to enforce laws. The video uses an example of a criminal moving through different jurisdictions, from a town to a county, and eventually across state lines, which would involve federal law enforcement. Each level of law enforcement typically operates within its jurisdiction, although they may collaborate during cases like high-speed chases under the 'Fresh Pursuit' doctrine.

💡Fresh Pursuit

Fresh pursuit refers to the legal principle that allows law enforcement officers to continue pursuing a suspect across jurisdictional boundaries if they witness a crime in their own jurisdiction. The video uses this term to explain that even though local police have geographical limits, they are not bound by those limits when actively chasing a suspect who has committed a violation in their presence.

💡DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a federal agency responsible for combating drug trafficking and enforcing laws related to controlled substances. In the video, the DEA is used as an example of a federal agency with a specific focus, emphasizing how different federal agencies have specialized areas of law enforcement, such as the DEA for drugs or the ATF for firearms.

💡ATF

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is a federal law enforcement agency focused on crimes involving firearms, explosives, and arson. In the video, the ATF is mentioned alongside other federal agencies to illustrate how each agency has its own specialty. The ATF’s jurisdiction and responsibilities are different from those of local or state police, but they may collaborate when needed.

💡SWAT

SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) refers to specialized units within law enforcement agencies trained to handle high-risk situations, such as hostage rescues or dangerous arrests. The video explains that SWAT teams exist at all levels of law enforcement, from local departments to federal agencies like the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. The size and scope of SWAT teams vary depending on the jurisdiction’s resources and needs.

💡FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal agency responsible for investigating crimes that cross state lines or violate federal law. In the video, the FBI is highlighted as one of the most prominent federal agencies, with jurisdiction over major crimes like terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime. The FBI becomes involved when crimes cross state borders or affect national security.

💡Task Force

A task force is a group of law enforcement officers from various agencies who collaborate on specific types of crime or large-scale investigations. The video explains how officers from different levels of law enforcement, such as town cops or state troopers, may work together as part of a federal task force to address crimes that require resources and cooperation beyond their own jurisdiction.

Highlights

The video explains the complexity of law enforcement in the United States by breaking it down into federal, state, and local levels.

Federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and DEA, are the largest and most funded entities, with a combined DOJ and DHS budget of $16.1 billion in 2022.

State police operate within their own states, enforcing state laws and assisting in areas without local police. Each state has its own specific state police or highway patrol, with the exception of Hawaii.

The video discusses 'Fresh Pursuit,' where police officers can chase a suspect beyond their jurisdiction if they witness a crime.

There are over 65 federal agencies, including 27 offices of Inspectors General, that employ personnel with full arrest authority.

The importance of jurisdiction is highlighted with an example of a bank robbery, where different levels of law enforcement get involved as a suspect crosses town, county, state, and federal lines.

Despite marijuana being legalized in some states, it remains illegal federally, which means federal agents can still make arrests in states where it is legal.

The Texas Rangers are credited as the first statewide police force in the U.S., and their model has influenced the structure of other state police forces.

Local police departments, such as the NYPD, LAPD, and Chicago PD, are some of the largest and most well-funded in the U.S., with the NYPD having over 35,000 officers.

County police are typically known as sheriff's departments, while city police are often referred to as municipal police.

There are gaps in law enforcement coverage in areas without local police departments, where state police or county police step in to fill the void.

Federal, state, and local police often collaborate on tasks like federal task forces, bringing together various jurisdictions to tackle large-scale crimes.

While there are differences in the jurisdictions and specialties of police at different levels, they all share a common goal: enforcing laws to maintain order.

Police training and entry requirements vary by department, with federal agencies typically having stricter education and training standards than state and local forces.

The video touches on specialized law enforcement units, such as SWAT teams, that exist at all levels, including federal, state, and local.

Transcripts

the way police works in the United

States wait what's that we're getting

pulled over in the middle of a video

you've got to be kidding me I can't

really see the car is it a State Trooper

maybe it's a county sheriff wait could

it be a federal agent I know we've made

some videos on the FBI wait I got it

that gives us an excellent idea why are

there so many different police

departments driver pull over now

everyone's familiar with the police no

matter where you are or where you've

been you've likely seen some sort of

police presence but police is a catchall

term here as there are various levels of

law enforcement throughout the United

States they can range from federal state

county City Town you name it but what's

the point why are there so many

different types of police what do they

do differently we're here to explain all

of that for you we'll be giving you a

breakdown of federal state and local

police we'll be grouping together County

city and Town Police as local police for

Simplicity sake if you have no clue what

any of these are let's give you some

examples for federal law enforcement

there's agencies like the FBI DEA US

Marshals border patrol Secret Service

and the ATF for State there's agencies

like the California Texas and Florida

Highway patrols New York State Police

Alaska State Troopers and the Kentucky

State Police you can find these in 49

states fun fact Hawaii is the only state

without a Statewide police force and

lastly for the local police some

examples are the nyp PD lap PD and

Chicago PD and then the Los Angeles

sheriff's Las Vegas Metropolitan and

Broward County police departments this

is barely scratching the surface there

are thousands and thousands more sorry M

cops you didn't make the cut this time

now that you're familiar with some of

these departments let's kick things off

with a fun example on how jurisdiction

works for you cops and lawyers out there

don't fret this is going to be a simple

explanation of jurisdiction you just

robbed a bank in the little town of

nowhere Kentucky and various types of

police are hot on your tail you must

have taken a lot of money you just made

it out of the town now the town cops

have to back off now you just pass

through nausea City and the city cops

have to back off then you make it out of

tonas County woo that was close the

County police back off now you got to

make it out of Kentucky which you

successfully do luck is definitely on

your side the Kentucky State Police back

off uh-oh now you have the feds on your

Trail because you cross state lines

you're going to have to make a break for

it to Canada or Mexico if you want a

shot at your freedom you're now on the

FBI's most wanted list congratulations

now while that was fun to show you it

doesn't work that simply this isn't

Grand Theft Auto where you can hide in a

bush and the cops forget about you 30

seconds later likely if you robbed the

bank an APB would be put out on your

location and the town or city county and

even State Police would get involved

almost immediately on top of that if you

cross state lines you've now involved

the federal government see how quickly

this can stack against you and it's not

like the police would just St stop

pursuing you because you went outside

their jurisdiction once an officer sees

you commit a violation within their

jurisdiction the jurisdiction becomes

irrelevant they can chase you as far as

necessary something called Fresh Pursuit

a local cop may be limited by his

Department's own policy on how far he

can chase you but for all intents and

purposes it doesn't matter don't think

that the town cops will see a sign for

the next town and just give up with that

out of the way before we can get into

their similarities and differences we

must start by explaining the main

purpose of each of these three levels of

law enforcement let's start off with the

big guns the federal

Police federal police are usually

referred to as agents not police the

feds enforce the federal law of the

United States the feds are overseen by

the Department of Justice or Department

of Homeland Security as you probably

figured federal law enforcement is the

biggest entity out of the three levels

we will be discussing federal law

enforcement comes in several different

forms with 65 federal agencies and 27

offices of Inspector General that employ

full-time Personnel authorized to make

arrests and carry firearms with a body

of that size they also get the most

funding the doj and dhs's budget

combined for fiscal year 2022 is around

$16.1 billion now compare that to the

largest state agency's budget the

California Highway Patrol which is

around 2.9 billion that's a huge

difference federal agencies enforce

federal law not state law an example of

this is with the legalization of

marijuana while it may be legal in

certain States a federal agent can still

arrest you for the possession of

marijuana because it is not legal under

federal law so you can be following the

law in your state but still be breaking

the law to the federal government of the

United States now on to State

[Music]

Police while we're using the term State

Police in reality only 23 States call

their departments by that name some

states use terms like Highway Patrol

State Highway Patrol States Patrol and

state troopers despite the different

names the functions of these agencies

are usually the same and to get things a

little more complicated for you Alaska

and Arkansas are the only states with

both a highway patrol and State Police

regardless of the title State Police all

have one thing in common they enforce

their respective States law the Vermont

police aren't interested in enforcing

the law over Nebraska and vice versa for

example you're not going to see a South

Carolina Highway Patrol officer

traveling to Colorado to arrest someone

for smoking marijuana in Colorado

despite that being in South Carolina

they simply don't have the jurisdiction

to enforce that State Police typically

deal with patrolling highways and

dealing with traffic however they

respond and deal with all sorts of

scenarios and crimes especially in rural

areas where there isn't much local

police patrolling this is especially the

case in Alaska where the Alaska State

Police can be the only police for

hundreds even thousands of square miles

Alaska doesn't have any counties it has

Burrows and to leave you with a fun fact

before we move on to local police State

Police can trace its rotes all the way

back to the Texas Rangers which were the

first Statewide police force in the

United States and now on to the local

police to Remind You by local we mean

County city or town County police are

typically referred to as Sheriff's

departments City police are typically

called Municipal Police and Town police

are the smallest of the bunch usually in

the suburbs of major cities or towns

that can afford to have its own Police

Department each of these departments

enforce the laws of the United States

their respective state laws and their

respective ordinances such as count

County city and town laws while we're

mentioning local police not every

locality has its own Police Department

there are entire counties and areas that

don't have their own police force if a

county doesn't have a police force the

state police steps in if a town doesn't

have a police force the county or State

Police can step in so wherever there are

gaps the state police and County police

if applicable fill those gaps just

because local police departments have a

smaller jurisdiction by no means

implicates its strength or size the NYPD

which can only enforce the laws within

New York City has a size of over 35,000

sworn officers that's bigger than

several Count's entire militaries it all

really depends on the size and budget of

the city town or County for example LAPD

has its own specialized squat team but

don't forget the city of La has a

population of nearly 4 million people

you're most likely not going to see a

town of 50 people having the same level

of SWAT team as the LAPD because one

there's no need and two there wouldn't

be enough funding from 5010 taxpayers to

have a SWAT team to that degree a small

rural town in the middle of nowhere that

has one police officer isn't going to

have that officer trained in every

aspect of SWAT narcotics detective work

explosives and forensics that cop will

fit the needs of their Community now

while we are only discussing County city

and Town Police there are in fact

several other forms of local police that

we won't get into for the sake of this

video such as school campus and Transit

Police but just know that they do exist

and no Mall Cops you still haven't made

to cut now that we've given you a

broad-strokes breakdown of federal state

and local police let's go over some of

their key similarities and

differences make no mistake while

there's several different levels of law

enforcement they all do the same thing

enforce the laws within the United

States to maintain Law and Order while a

town cop might not have the federal

jurisdiction that a federal agent has if

you break a federal law on their Town

more likely than not they can enforce it

however they'll be more concerned with

violations of state law federal law

enforcement agencies typically have

their own Specialties to tackle

different Realms of crime like the DEA

for drugs and ATF for guns whereas the

state police department will have

departments within that agency to combat

those sorts of crimes keep in mind that

there's an overlap the FBI makes arrest

for guns and other crimes outside of its

specialty just as much as the DEA can

make an arrest not having to do with

drugs all levels of law enforcement have

some sort of SWAT component whether

that's the hostage Rescue Team for the

FBI sort for the New York State Police

or your local sheriff us office SWAT

team there are specialty units designed

to respond to high-risk scenarios at

virtually every level of law enforcement

which brings us to our next Point

despite their differences there are

plenty of opportunities and instances

where all levels of police work together

you can find Town cops County cops and

state cops embedded in a federal task

force like the jtf for example it can go

further State cops from different states

may work together city cops from

different cities can work together and

the same goes with County cops and town

cops however the despite the

cohesiveness there are Degrees of

Separation yes County and city cops

might work together but you won't see a

County cop patrolling the city all

willy-nilly typically they will leave

enforcement in the city to the city cops

and only assist under certain

circumstances cops will typically Patrol

in their designated areas there's also

no common standard for entering law

enforcement across the board while each

department will have a set of minimum

requirements for what they teach in

theirm respective to their location some

departments might only require a high

school diploma whereas others might

require a 2-year college degree when you

start moving into the federal level they

start looking at four-year degrees for

entry there are also age restrictions

too and it gets much more detailed than

that in addition depending on your area

of focus the training you receive will

vary for example Parks police will

receive more training having to do with

the geographical challenges of parks

than a city cop will but both will be

trained to a standard for firearms

they'll all be peace officers capable of

enforcing the law just with different

expertise and Specialties while One

Police Academy may be 3 months long

another will be 6 months long at the end

of the day they're still training to do

what needs to be done in the world of

law enforcement to sum this up at the

federal level the standards of procedure

are more uniform and predictable

compared to State and local departments

you know what you're getting and what to

expect to a certain extent it gets a bit

tricky the more loal you get a County

Law Enforcement Agency in California

isn't going to be identical to one in

Massachusetts there are nuances across

every Police Department bottom line the

more local you look the more differences

you'll find mind there's no one siiz

fits-all the whole point of this video

was to give you a basic understanding of

how each of these three levels of law

enforcement work if you would like to

learn more about law enforcement such as

the oldest federal law enforcement

agency the US Marshals you should go

check out Mike her's captivating book on

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