police

Etymology

From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy and polity.

noun

1. A public agency charged with enforcing laws and maintaining public order, usually being granted special privileges to do so, particularly
   1. (Canada, US and historical) A department of local (usually municipal) government responsible for general law enforcement.
      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.
   2. (UK) A branch of the Home Office responsible for general law enforcement within a specific territory.
      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.
   3. (Australia, New Zealand) Any of the formally enacted law enforcement agencies at various levels of government.
2. (usually plural only) 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. 2006 Sept. 17, David Mills, "Soft Eyes", The Wire, 00:06:50
   This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get. 2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, page 440
3. (figurative, usually ironic and mildly derogatory) 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 […] 2010, Mary Beard, It's a Don's Life, page 147
   A major drama has broken out in France after the local language police decreed one of their cute little accents to be largely redundant Feb 5 2016, “How the circumflex became France's bête noire”, in The Guardian
4. (military, 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. 1907, Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate, concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Tex. on the Night of August 13 and 14, 1906, volume 2
5. (archaic, now rare) 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. 2002, Colin Jones, The Greta Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 218
6. (obsolete) Alternative form of policy.
7. (obsolete) 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. May 24, 2012, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club
   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. 2013-08-10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848
   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. July 28 2021, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Confusion and dissent over face mask requirements: Reaction to the Guidance: Train operators”, in RAIL, number 936, page 7
2. (transitive, intransitive, military, 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); […] 1900, Proceedings of the eighth annual meeting, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
   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. 1907, Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate, concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Tex. on the Night of August 13 and 14, 1906, volume 2
   ELIAS: Police up your extra ammo and frags, don't leave nothing for the dinks. 1986, Oliver Stone, Platoon (film script)
   Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass? 2006, Robert B. Parker, Hundred-Dollar Baby, Putnam,, page 275
3. (transitive, figurative) To enforce norms or standards upon.
   to police a person's identity