U.S. Army Law Enforcement

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Law enforcement is a vital component in every type of society or culture as a means of social control. Different forms of culture have different requirements in terms of what law enforcement is necessary to keep the peace. The civilian sector makes use of resources such as local, state, and federal law enforcement resources to fit its needs. In comparison, The U.S. Army uses only one body to fit its law enforcement needs: the Military Police Corps. The Army’s military police must balance both the duties and training of being a full time soldier while also maintaining double the professionalism due to their law enforcement authorities. The average active duty Army post is home to between ten and fifteen thousand soldiers and their families. This provides law enforcement with a relatively tight-knit community in which they work, but also provides many stresses not encountered in the civilian world. Due to the nature of the Profession of Arms, many calls that Military Police Officers may face are fairly unique to their job. Not only do they deal with traditional calls such as assaults, robberies, or murders, but they also must encounter soldiers dealing with PTSD or other mental debilitations that come from the high stress environment of combat deployments. To deal with any situation that may arise on a military instillation, MP’s have access to many of the resources of a much larger civilian department. They maintain a specific Military Occupational Specialty for K-9 officers, giving access to K-9 units whenever required. Whenever Ordinance Disposal or Aviation is required, the Military Police Corps utilizes the separate Army branches of Ordinance and Aviation respectively (“What’s it like to be an Army MP” 1). Army Military Police Officers derive their authority directly from the federal government rather than from a civilian local municipality. Any personnel on
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