FBI vs Police
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is the Unites States government’s domestic law enforcement agency. It is tasked with gathering domestic intelligence, so that all threats to the United States government are eliminated. The police on the other hand handle the day to day maintenance of law and order that includes taking all measures to prevent the breaking of law, and in the event of that happening investigating the act, and bringing the guilty to justice.
FBI being the premier investigating agency in the United States, assists the police in handling important cases, as it has access to an extremely sophisticated evidence lab which is far more sophisticated than anything the local police departments might be using. Usually major cases, involving murder, inter-state crimes and kidnappings are up FBI’s street. Any activity which compromises the security of the United States will be investigated by the FBI.
That apart the FBI is in charge of domestic surveillance. The police of course are a civil law and order force. Police power in the US is constrained so as to not infringe on civil rights. The US police force really came into its own in the early twentieth century with the advent of the police car, and two way radio. It now became very reactive and service oriented reacting to distress calls, with prompt action. Since the 1990s the police forces in the Unites States have made community policing strategies. Computerization has brought in tracking and mapping of crime patterns, to make policing a modern scientific affair.
The thrust really is for the police to focus on preventing and solving serious crimes like felony. Preventive police, who are the uniformed variety we all recognize, focus on patrolling and responding to instances of emergencies. On the other end of the spectrum are the police detectives whose job is to investigate and perform detective work. Then there are the special units of the police force like homicide, fraud, cyber crime, bomb squads, etc.
Typically in the US there will be a state police force, but even a municipality could have its own police force. There are other types of specialist police forces as well. For instance the Federal Protective Service responsible for patrolling and protecting government buildings, the Postal Police, tasked with protecting postal property and Park police which protects national parks. Then there is the Coast Guard, the New York City Port Authority Police or the MTA police.
Both the FBI and the police forces are well recognized the world over, thanks to Hollywood movies and there is a great deal of curiosity about them.
Summary:
1 .The FBI is the Unites States government’s domestic law enforcement agency. The police on the other hand handle the day to day maintenance of law and order.
2. The FBI has its own role, that of being the custodian of US national security and it will go to any extent to achieve that goal. The police forces on the other hand perform the crucial arms and legs functions.
3. If the FBI could be likened to the brain, the police forces are the body parts which perform critical functions.