Difference Between A Peace Officer And A Police Officer?

Difference Between A Peace Officer And A Police Officer?

Difference Between A Police Officer and Peace Officer?Photo byPolice Officer Photo by Martin Jernberg Unsplash

What Is The Difference Between A Peace Officer And A Police Officer? Quite often, especially in social media, I will encounter someone stating emphatically that the subjects of my post were supposed to be Peace Officers and that the term Police Officer has a negative connotation.

A recent comment, that was posted in a very assertive manner stated, that if "they were Peace Officers, and not Law Enforcement Officers, they would have never been shot." They further stated that Law Enforcement Officers, or Police Officers has a negative connotation as far as they were concerned. One can make the assumption from their post that the term police officers, or law enforcement officers was why they were shot and killed.

I've learned over the years to not engage or argue with people on social media. I do my best to recall the quote by Mark Twain. “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

So, for those that were wondering what is the difference between a peace officer and a police officer, here you go.

According to Zippia.com. "A peace officer is someone who can be a member of a police force, while a police officer is someone who is always a member of a police force. A peace officer is a type of police officer who enforces laws and ordinances. They may also investigate crimes. Most peace officers' tasks are making arrests, conducting investigations, and issuing citations for traffic violations. Responding to emergency calls, such as domestic violence incidents or fires is also within a peace officer's purview."

ApprovedCourse.com states, "Since the definition of a peace officer is rather broad, there are many different careers that fit this description. Some of the most common types of peace officers include:

Police Officers

Patrol Officers

Court Officers

Municipal Law Enforcement Officers

Constables

State Troopers

Auxiliary Officers

Secret Agents

Special Agents

Detention Officers

Border Patrol

Sheriff’s

Deputies

Constables

Parole Officers

Corrections

Game Wardens

Campus Officers (sworn in)

While it might seem like security guards should be on the list, they are not. They only become peace officers when given authority to enforce certain laws. When this happens, they will no longer be security guards but security officers. Police Officers are Peace Officers."

Since, I believe in the power of three, here is one more source. Wilfrid Laurier University stated the following. "Often, there is confusion about the differences between peace officers and police officers. For example, although a police officer is eligible to work as a peace officer, a peace officer is not eligible to work as a police officer. Police officers and peace officers have similar objectives in their role: to uphold the safety and security of the individuals, communities and institutions they protect. However, the two positions have different responsibilities, job requirements, credentials and titles."

To clarify, Police Officers are Peace Officers, but not all Peace Officers are Police Officers, some are Troopers, Deputies, Corrections officers, etc.

The next time someone forcibly states that Police Officers Are Not Peace Officers, or vice-a-versa, you now know the truth.

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