# States/provinces without police forces **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322 "2011-05-26T17:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/21 "2011-05-27T08:05:24Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > I’ve never encountered Stadtpolizei, and I don’t consider the guys from the Ordnungsamt who watch over littering and noise levels proper cops. They also don’t have special uniforms usually. Nonetheless, they are classed by the government as law enforcement, and in many municipalities are armed, just like the state police. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/22 "2011-05-27T14:23:29Z")
The State of Ohio has no “state police.” It has a State Highway Patrol, but its scope is severely limited and officials make a point to stress that the highway patrol “is not a state police force.” The bulk of criminal investigation and other police functions are left to county sheriffs’ departments and city police departments. I’m still interested in getting a response to this: > [@constanze](#): > > Until some years ago, each state also had different uniform colours, which was of course stupid because a North German on visit in the South got confused as to how a cop looked like, so they finally got their act together and decided on dark blue (although, I think that was not a good colour choice). > [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t understand why the lack of uniformity is “stupid.” In the United States, every law enforcement operation has a different uniform and people don’t have problems recognizing a cop in uniform. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/23 "2011-05-27T15:55:09Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > [This is Wiki’s list o](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_law_enforcement_agencies_in_the_District_of_Columbia)f police agencies within the District of Columbia… So if I’m standing on the Mall in front of the Washington Monument (the giant obelisk), and I call 911 and ask for the police, who do I get? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/24 "2011-05-27T16:02:46Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So if I’m standing on the Mall in front of the Washington Monument (the giant obelisk), and I call 911 and ask for the police, who do I get? Good question. You got me, and I used to work at several of the museums on the Mall. I guess the operator would ask you for a little detail about where you are, and send the right cops. I do know that Park Police cops sometimes patrolled the Mall, and I’ve also seen Secret Service uniformed cops out by the Washington Monument when the presidential helicopter was coming or going. I was even told by one of them to bring down my kite, which might be some minor hazard to the chopper – or maybe annoyance to the pilot. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/25 "2011-05-27T16:07:04Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So if I’m standing on the Mall in front of the Washington Monument (the giant obelisk), and I call 911 and ask for the police, who do I get? Probably the Park Service Police. But maybe the Metropolitan Police. And there’s a slim chance you’ll get the Capitol Police. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/26 "2011-05-27T16:09:39Z")
Every few months I see a cruiser with a police department name on it that I hadn’t heard of before. I was surprised to see a car marked “FBI Police.” That one seemed a bit odd. I just saw a new one this past weekend, but I can’t remember the name now. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/27 "2011-05-27T16:13:43Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So if I’m standing on the Mall in front of the Washington Monument (the giant obelisk), and I call 911 and ask for the police, who do I get? > [@Acsenray](#): > > Probably the Park Service Police. But maybe the Metropolitan Police. And there’s a slim chance you’ll get the Capitol Police. It’ll also depend on what the emergency is. If you call up saying there’s a shooter on the mall, you’ll get everyone they can get there. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322/28 "2011-05-27T17:15:59Z")
Adding even more to the Washington, DC police list, I didn’t see either Amtrak nor CSX Railroad listed, even though both have decent-sized police forces. Most Class I railroads have police forces to handle trespassing, theft, vandalism, and accidents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/states-provinces-without-police-forces/583322.md?page=1)