Police agencies in the District of Columbia

[AndyK]

For what it's worth, there are at least thirty-one --31 -- active police agencies in and around the District of Columbia. Some are strictly local while others have nation-wide or world-wide jurisdiction.

And these are only the ones which are publicly overt.

Amtrak Police
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police
D.C. Police Department
District of Columbia Department of Corrections
District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department
District of Columbia Protective Services Police Department
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation Police
Federal Protective Service
Government Printing Office Uniformed Police
Homeland Security Investigations (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Metro Transit Police Department
Military Police (All branches)
National Zoological Park Police
Pentagon Police
Smithsonian Police Office of Protection Services
Supreme Court Police
The United States Secret Service
U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service
U.S. Federal Reserve Police
U.S. Marshals
United States Army Criminal Investigative Command
United States Capitol Police
United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police
United States Mint Police
United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service
United States Park Police
United States Postal Police
United States State Department Diplomatic Security Service
Washington National Cathedral Police

edited to correct typo

[Famspear]

For what it's worth, there are at least thirty-one --31 -- active police agencies in and around the District of Columbia. Some are strictly local while others have antion-wide or world-wide jurisdiction.

And these are only the ones which are publicly overt.

Amtrak Police
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police
D.C. Police Department
District of Columbia Department of Corrections
District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department
District of Columbia Protective Services Police Department
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation Police
Federal Protective Service
Government Printing Office Uniformed Police
Homeland Security Investigations (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Metro Transit Police Department
Military Police (All branches)
National Zoological Park Police
Pentagon Police
Smithsonian Police Office of Protection Services
Supreme Court Police
The United States Secret Service
U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service
U.S. Federal Reserve Police
U.S. Marshals
United States Army Criminal Investigative Command
United States Capitol Police
United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police
United States Mint Police
United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service
United States Park Police
United States Postal Police
United States State Department Diplomatic Security Service
Washington National Cathedral Police

Wow. DC must be a really safe place.



Can we add to the list? How about the special agents of the Criminal Investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service? I assume there should be a few of them, somewhere within the confines of the District.

[notorial dissent]

Who'd a thunk it!!!

I never even thought there would be so many different ones, although now why I thought that I don't know. Must make jurisdictional issues a real bear sometimes, although I'm sure there is a pecking order of some kind.

[fortinbras]

I do not know what "antion-wide" means (the word is not in the Amer.Heritage paperback dictionary), but most of those 'police' are confined to specific buildings, such as the Smithsonian Museums or the Capitol (and the House & Senate Office Buildings), a crime could occur a block away and they wouldn't be any help. For the most part, they're only a notch better than dept store rent-a-cops.

[AndyK]

I do not know what "antion-wide" means (the word is not in the Amer.Heritage paperback dictionary), but most of those 'police' are confined to specific buildings, such as the Smithsonian Museums or the Capitol (and the House & Senate Office Buildings), a crime could occur a block away and they wouldn't be any help. For the most part, they're only a notch better than dept store rent-a-cops.

1 - fixed typo: NATION-wide

2 - Although many of the agencies are, in fact, assigned to specific buildings or functions, there are multiple jurisdiction-sharing agreements in place. For example, both Federal Protective Service and US Park Police have full police powers throught the city and much of the suburbs. Park Police patrol almost all of the George Washington Parkway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

3 - Note the list doesn't include state or municipal agencies -- probably another half-dozen or so inside the Beltway.

[The Observer]

Starting a Quatloosian pool for all takers to see when AndyK's list gets copied by a whacko and ends up on a sovrun website as evidence of a vast conspiratorial police state depriving people of their rights.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Despite official denials and the headquarters being in NYC, my sources tell me MIB is actually funded by the Defense Department and has a field operation based in D.C.

[AndyK]

Despite official denials and the headquarters being in NYC, my sources tell me MIB is actually funded by the Defense Department and has a field operation based in D.C.

Oh, so wrong.

The alleged New York headquarters is merely a front. After all, which two Federal agencies are charged with (1) external relations and (2) dealing with aliens? Simple: Department of State and Customs and Immigration Service (part of Homeland Security).

Why do you think Homeland Security is constructing a new headquarters on the surplus grounds of Saint Elizabeth's Hospital?

Simple: Saint E's is just a couple of miles from State (via the triple-secret extension of the pre-Metro subway system) AND Saint E's used to house --- well, you connect the dotted lines.

[mpo]

Some more:
US Customs and Border Patrol

CSX Railway Police (not from the area--is the NEC policing done by Amtrak?)

[JamesVincent]

Some more:
US Customs and Border Patrol

CSX Railway Police (not from the area--is the NEC policing done by Amtrak?)

Amtrak runs on CSX tracks so CSX would be the higher authority AFAIK but both agencies would be present.

What would have been really fun is not too long ago (20 years?) there would have been at least 5 different railroads running into DC. Most of them have been absorbed into CSX through buyouts but I believe the Norfolk and Southern still runs into there (?) so add their police also.

caveat: CSX would patrol the rails and system, Amtrak would patrol the actual trains.

[Gregg]

There are also 2 Dennys locations in DC, so the associated agencies with the real courts would have to be included!