There are as many different law enforcement agencies as there are crayons in a box of Crayolas. Each one, though, has a specific function and jurisdiction. With a country as large and wide-ranging as the United States, there are numerous needs that mandate a protective governance. From our borders to our pets, check out some of the more interesting and diverse career paths below.
Officers protect citizens’ lives and their property. They pursue and arrest persons who break the law or issue tickets and citations for lesser misdemeanors. Police officers physically patrol their jurisdictions, watching for any suspicious behavior or danger.
Detectives are plainclothes police officers who work to solve various crimes on a municipal level.
The FBI is the primary law enforcement entity within the US Department of Justice. Its main tasks include investigations of federal-level crimes and domestic intelligence and surveillance.
Sheriffs and sheriff deputies handle crime on a county level. Their role is similar to that of a patrol officer, with the added responsibility of providing law enforcement in rural or unincorporated areas, where they may be the only arbiters of the law.
Within the US Federal Government, the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for preparing for, preventing and responding to domestic emergencies that threaten the nation's residents and infrastructure.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is one of the major law enforcement agencies within the Department of Justice, the agency entrusted with preventing terrorism, lowering violent crime incidents, and protecting the Nation as a whole.
An animal control officer is an employee of (or a contractor to) a municipality. They respond to calls for service ranging from capturing stray animals to investigating cases of cruelty to animals.
