Are police a type of military? Discuss.

[Erose999]

On a local news website in a discussion about police militarization, some moran said

"police is a form of military" [sic]

But while police have a organizational structure similar to the military, they have different duties, different jurisdictions, and they report to different authorities.

The military is chartered its authority from the constitution and the federal government, and reports to the Department of Defense in the executive branch. The military's duties include protecting the sovereignty of the United States.

Local police forces and chartered their authority and are accountable to local governments and state laws. The duties of law enforcement include maintaining order in the community by enforcing state laws.

The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 forbids the military from operating in the territory of the states except in cases of terrorism or insurrection.

So it would reason that police are not military, nor are they even a type of military. Nothing I can find in the US Code says otherwise, but I suppose one might think of the police as a type of military in some sort of purely philosophical sense.

The news editor of our local alternative weekly disagrees, saying the police are a "paramilitary". But it seems to me that a "paramilitary" is a group without legitimate authority... like the Oafkeepers or whatever. Law enforcement acts with the legitimate authority of the state/local government...

Anyway, discuss.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. The police are a street gang with military weapons.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Even military police follow different rules of engagement

that regular armed forces. They are police who happen to be in the military.

[rock]

3. Discuss?

No need to. You already covered it pretty well. Thanks.