In what way can jury service “help in the wake of the attacks on the U.S.
Why is serving on the jury compared to voting? What is common between the two procedures?
Who has the right to serve on the jury?
What should you do if you receive a summons to serve on the jury?
What are the two types of trials which require the service of the jury?
Judging by the article, do you think that the American perceive jury duty more as a privilege or responsibility?
Ex. 70 Read the text and fill in the following table:
| Police agency | Head | Head appointed by | Responsibilities |
| City police | |||
| County police | |||
| State police |
The Police
Police officers in the United States are often called cops. During the late 1800's, they were called constables. The word cop may have come from the initials c. o. p., which stood for constable on patrol. Some experts believe cop is short for copper, a word that referred to the copper badges worn by police officers.
In the United States, there are about 40,000 separate police agencies that operate under city, county, state, or federal governments. Each agency is responsible only to its own division of government. Private police agencies are licensed by the states to provide certain types of police services.
City police.The size of a city police force depends on the size and needs of the community. New York City has the largest city police department in the United States – about 29,000 police officers. A small town may have a police force of only one or two officers.
Some city police departments have specialized forces with certain limited powers. Such forces include airport police, housing police, park police, and transit police.
In most cities, the mayor appoints the head of the police department. This official may have the title of chief, commissioner, director,or superintendent. Other ranking police officers include inspectors, lieutenant colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants,andsergeants.
County police. The powers of a county police force extend throughout the county. In some states, however, these powers are restricted in towns and cities that have their own force. A sheriff, elected by the people, is the chief law enforcement officer in most counties. In some states, the sheriff's department provides police services on a contract basis to cities and towns within the county.
The duties and powers of the sheriff's department vary from county to county. In some counties, the sheriff takes charge of prisoners in the county jails, attends sessions of the county court, and carries out court rulings in matters of civil law. In other counties, the sheriff's department may also conduct full-scale police operations and provide training and technical services to city police.
State police. Every state except Hawaii has either a state police force or a state highway patrol force. The powers of these forces vary from state to state. Both types of agencies are headed by a commissioner or superintendentappointed by the governor. Hawaii has only county police forces.
State police enforce state laws. They also may coordinate police activities within the state and provide technical services and training programs to city and county police departments. State police officers are sometimes called troopers because they were originally organized along military lines and often rode horses. Most state highway patrol forces have the primary duty of enforcing highway and motor vehicle regulations. Some also conduct full-scale police operations.
Federal law enforcement agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI is the chief investigating branch of the United States Department of Justice. It investigates federal crimes and handles cases involving stolen money or property that has been taken from one state to another. Nine other major federal law enforcement agencies also have full police powers. They are the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Customs Service, and others.
Private police agencies are licensed by the states to perform limited types of police work. Industrial security police guard factories and warehouses. Campus police protect the people and property of colleges and universities. Private investigative agencies provide detective services to individuals and businesses.