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Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

Author: Sophia

what's covered

In this lesson, you will learn about local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

1. Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
2. Collaboration and Jurisdictional Challenges

1. Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

In the United States, there are over 18,000 law enforcement agencies which operate at three levels—local, state, and federal. They each have different jurisdictions, structures, and duties, but they share the goal of maintaining law and order throughout the country. In this lesson, we’ll look at how these agencies operate throughout the U.S.

1a. Local Law Enforcement Agencies

Local law enforcement agencies are the most prevalent and noticeable throughout the country. They serve cities and towns across the U.S., addressing the needs of their communities. These agencies include municipal police departments and county sheriff's offices.

Municipal police departments, which are responsible for policing their jurisdiction, operate at the city or town level.

EXAMPLE

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) would be local law enforcement agencies.

These departments are responsible for preventing crime and enforcing the law within their jurisdiction. They respond to calls, conduct investigations, patrol areas, and enforce appropriate laws (Morey, 2015). They are also responsible for enforcing traffic laws. They issue citations, investigate accidents, and enforce laws in cases involving people driving under the influence (DUIs). Furthermore, they also ensure the safety of people at large public events or protests (Policing at Protests, n.d.).

Aside from municipal police, sheriff’s departments also engage in local policing, but they do so at the county level. Sheriff’s departments are often responsible for providing law enforcement to rural areas that do not have a local police department.

hint

Sheriffs are elected officials, whereas police chiefs are typically appointed (Fact Sheet, 2022).

Sheriffs are responsible for overseeing county jails, and also provide security for county courthouses, transporting individuals to and from court, and serving legal documents.

1b. State Law Enforcement Agencies

State law enforcement agencies, which operate across entire states, enforce state laws and support local agencies with resources, when needed. The two most common types are:

State police
Highway patrol

State police agencies enforce laws across their respective states and are responsible for duties such as assisting local agencies with criminal investigations like homicides, organized crime, and human trafficking. State police also patrol rural areas and highways without local police presence (The Policy Circle, 2023). Furthermore, state police agencies often have highly trained teams for situations requiring specialized skills, such as SWAT teams or bomb squads.

Highway patrol agencies focus on road safety and enforcing traffic laws. Highway patrol agencies enforce speed limits, investigate accidents, help motorists, and ensure compliance with traffic laws on state highways (Our Mission, 2022). They may also conduct DUI checkpoints to reduce traffic accidents related to alcohol or drug use. Additionally, they inspect commercial trucks to ensure compliance with weight limits, safety regulations, and licensing requirements.

1c. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

Federal law enforcement agencies operate under the authority of the U.S. government, and they enforce federal laws across the country. The most important federal law enforcement agencies include:

Seal	Description
	The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary investigative division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is responsible for investigating federal crimes such as terrorism, cybercrime, organized crime, drug trafficking, and civil rights violations (Department of Justice, 2022).
	The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) enforces the country’s drug laws, primarily focused on combating the illegal drug trade, including drug manufacturing, distribution, and trafficking (DEA, n.d.).
	The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) enforces federal laws related to firearms, explosives, arson, alcohol, and tobacco (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 2018).
	The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which we discussed in detail in a previous lesson, oversees law enforcement agencies (like USSS, CBP, and ICE) responsible for protecting the U.S. from threats (Department of Homeland Security, 2023).

2. Collaboration and Jurisdictional Challenges

A challenge for U.S. law enforcement is the need for coordination and collaboration across the different levels of government. These agencies often work together to investigate crimes that cross jurisdictional lines or involve different levels of law. Sometimes a crime begins in a local jurisdiction but turns into a larger investigation that requires state or federal involvement.

Many law enforcement agencies participate in joint task forces, where officers from local, state, and federal agencies work together on specific types of cases.

EXAMPLE

Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) are led by the FBI, and they have representation from law enforcement agencies at all levels of government to investigate and prevent terrorism (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019).

IN CONTEXT

How might different agencies interact or collaborate with each other? This can happen at all stages. Select the plus sign to see how.

Initiation
A local agency identifies a complex case, such as a string of related homicides, and requests state assistance.

Resource Allocation
The state police dispatch specialized units like forensic teams or criminal investigators.

Joint Planning
Both agencies hold strategy meetings to share information, divide responsibilities, and establish a chain of command.

Investigation Execution
Teams coordinate efforts, such as interviewing witnesses, conducting raids, or processing crime scenes.

Follow-Up
Findings are reported back to both agencies, ensuring transparency and compliance with both local and state protocols.

Case Resolution
The state agency supports prosecution efforts, offering evidence and expert testimony as needed.

Moreover, information sharing is necessary when there are investigations that involve multiple agencies. Databases such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), operated by the FBI, allow law enforcement across the country to share and access information on criminals, stolen property, and missing persons (The FBI’s National Crime Information Center, n.d.).

summary

In this lesson, you learned that law enforcement in the U.S. operates at three levels: local, state, and federal. Local law enforcement agencies, such as municipal police departments and county sheriff's offices, handle law enforcement responsibilities in cities and towns. They focus on crime prevention, traffic law enforcement, and maintaining order at public events. Sheriffs provide law enforcement to rural areas, oversee county jails, and ensure courthouse security. Additionally, state law enforcement agencies, including state police and highway patrol, enforce state laws across larger areas and assist local agencies with criminal investigations, while also focusing on traffic safety and specialized law enforcement operations.

Federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, and DHS, enforce federal laws and handle cases involving terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, and national security threats. These agencies often collaborate across different jurisdictional levels, forming joint task forces like the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which bring together officers from various levels of government to address complex crimes. Collaboration helps address jurisdictional challenges. Information sharing between agencies is facilitated through systems like the FBI's NCIC, which helps streamline communication and coordination in multi-jurisdictional investigations. In the next lesson, you will learn about private law enforcement agencies.

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY SOPHIA LEARNING. PLEASE SEE OUR TERMS OF USE

REFERENCES

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (2018). ATF Home Page | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Atf.gov. www.atf.gov/

DEA. (n.d.). Mission. www.dea.gov. www.dea.gov/about/mission

Department of Homeland Security. (2023, February 26). Mission. Department of Homeland Security. www.dhs.gov/mission

Department of Justice | Federal Bureau of Investigation | United States Department of Justice. (2022, December 6). www.justice.gov. www.justice.gov/doj/federal-bureau-investigation

Fact Sheet: “Constitutional Sheriffs” and Elections. (2022, October 5). States United Democracy Center. statesunited.org/resources/factsheet-constitutional-sheriff/

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Joint Terrorism Task Forces. Federal Bureau of Investigation. www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism/joint-terrorism-task-forces

Morey, T. (2015). 6.4. Levels of Policing and Role of Police. Pressbooks.pub; Pressbooks. openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/chapter/role-of-policing-in-the-united-states/

Our Mission. (2022). Ohio.gov. statepatrol.ohio.gov/about-us/our-mission

Policing At Protests: Best Practices | Protests & Public Safety: A Guide for Cities & Citizens. (n.d.). Constitutionalprotestguide.org. constitutionalprotestguide.org/policing-at-protests-best-practices/

The FBI’s National Crime Information Center. (n.d.). FBI. archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/testimony/the-fbis-national-crime-information-center

The Policy Circle. (2023). Understanding Law Enforcement. The Policy Circle. www.thepolicycircle.org/brief/understanding-law-enforcement/

Attributions

Police car light | Author: Tevenet | License: CC by SA 4.0