police

noun

1. (plural, plural-normally)A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.

   “There are nine Principles of Police: ... 7 To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

   “‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?”

   “In the criminal justice system, the People are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.”

   “Citadel Security is a volunteer police service answering to the Citadel Council. The 200,000 constables of C-Sec are responsible for maintaining public order in the densely populated Citadel.”

   “The rally on Sunday in Victoria Park, in the Causeway Bay district, was authorized in advance by the police. But protesters were also expected to begin marching later in the day from Sham Shui Po, a working-class neighborhood on the Kowloon peninsula, across the harbor from North Point. The police rejected their application for a permit.”

2. (Canada, US, historical, plural, plural-normally)A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.

   “The Cook County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction across most of Chicago but focuses on the unincorporated area and tasks like prisoner transport, leaving the rest to the Chicago Police Department.”

3. (UK, plural, plural-normally)A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.

   “Scotland Yard is, technically speaking, only the metropolitan police for Greater London but because of their importance they have special jurisdiction for some crimes across the United Kingdom.”

4. (Australia, New-Zealand, plural, plural-normally)A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.
5. (plural, plural-normally, plural-only, usually)The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Jamaica, Scotland, countable) an individual police officer.

   “Pearlman: Very clever, Lester. You got it all figured, huh? Freamon: Me? I'm just a police.”

   “This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.”

6. (derogatory, figuratively, ironic, mildly, plural, plural-normally, usually)People who try to enforce norms or standards as if granted authority similar to the police.

   “Who called the fashion police?”

   “Then there were the taste police, who thought that this bulky modern machine was an inappropriate intrusion […]”

   “A major drama has broken out in France after the local language police decreed one of their cute little accents to be largely redundant”

7. (plural, plural-normally, slang)Cleanup of a military facility, as a formal duty.

   “Q. […] What did you do that day? — A. I was cleaning up around quarters. Q. You had been on guard and went on police duty? You were policing, cleaning up around the barracks? — A. Yes, sir.”

8. (archaic, plural, plural-normally)Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society.

   “The notion of ‘police’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.”

9. (alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally)Alternative form of policy.
10. (alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally)Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community.

verb

1. (transitive)To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).

   “Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.”

   “Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials.”

   “Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example.”

   “Train operators were reluctant to speak to RAIL on the record, but one responded: "The unions are rightly very clear that they don't want staff policing face coverings after the removal of legal backing.”

2. (ambitransitive, slang)To clean up an area.

   “This comes to him through the company housekeeping, for in the field each organization takes care of itself, cooks its own food, makes its own beds, does its own policing (cleaning up); […]”

   “Q. […] What did you do that day? — A. I was cleaning up around quarters. Q. You had been on guard and went on police duty? You were policing, cleaning up around the barracks? — A. Yes, sir.”

   “ELIAS: Police up your extra ammo and frags, don't leave nothing for the dinks.”

   “"Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?"”

3. (figuratively, transitive)To enforce norms or standards upon.

   “to police a person's identity”