HSPS Special Operations serves federal government officers and embraces a strategic, forward-learning approach to security centered on advance planning and preparedness.

There are 27 offices of inspector general and 65 US federal agencies consisting of full-time personnel authorized to carry firearms and make arrests. The duty of federal officers includes corrections, court operations, security and protection, inspections, criminal investigation, enforcement, and police response and patrol.

State and Law Enforcement Agencies

There are over 17,000 local and state law enforcement agencies in the US, ranging in size from a single officer to more than 30,000 personnel. While local governments operate many of these municipal police departments, there are actually various types of law enforcement agencies:

Deputy sheriffs

The state generally grants Sheriff’s offices authority to enforce state law at the local county level. Deputies commonly respond to calls for service in areas outside local police jurisdictions, serve warrants and court summons, and run the local jail.

Special jurisdiction police

These officers provide police services for areas within another jurisdiction or defined entities. These include government buildings, housing authorities, hospitals, transportation assets (for example, subways, airports, etc.), schools, and parks. Generally, special jurisdiction police are full-service departments providing the same services as local police.

Highway patrol/state police

Often, state police perform police duties to include statewide investigations and highway patrol. Certain states have just one highway patrol with investigative functions that a different entity (for instance, the state bureau of investigation) covers. State police assist local police with emergencies and investigations that extend beyond the jurisdictional boundaries and resources of the local agency.

Local police

Local police include regional, tribal, county, and municipal police that derive authority from the local government body that built it. This main purpose is to investigate local crimes, provide patrol, and uphold the laws of the jurisdiction.