Prefectural Police officer conducting a routine inspection in
Ashibetsu. The responsibilities of a police officer are varied, and may differ greatly from within one political context to another. Typical duties relate to keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of people and property and the investigation of crimes. Officers are expected to respond to a variety of situations that may arise while they are on duty. Rules and guidelines dictate how an officer should behave within the community, and in many contexts, restrictions are placed on what the uniformed officer may wear. In some countries,
rules and procedures dictate that a police officer is obliged to intervene in a criminal incident, even when off-duty. Police officers in nearly all countries retain their lawful powers while off duty. In the majority of
Western legal systems, the major role of the police is to maintain order, keeping the peace through surveillance of the public, and the subsequent reporting and apprehension of suspected violators of the law. They also function to
discourage crimes through high-visibility policing, and most police forces have an investigative capability. Police have the legal authority to arrest and detain, usually granted by magistrates. Police officers also respond to
calls for service, along with routine
community policing. Police are often used as an
emergency service and may provide a
public safety function at large gatherings, as well as in
emergencies,
disasters,
search and rescue operations, and
traffic collisions. To provide a prompt response in emergencies, the police often coordinate their operations with
fire and
emergency medical services. In some countries, individuals serve jointly as police officers as well as
firefighters (creating the role of
fire police). In many countries, there is a common
emergency telephone number that allows the police, firefighters, or medical services to be summoned to an emergency. Some countries, such as the
United Kingdom, have introduced command procedures for use in major emergencies or disorder. In the UK, The
Gold Silver Bronze command structure is a system set up to improve communications between ground-based officers and the control room. Typically, a Bronze Commander would be a senior officer on the ground, coordinating the efforts in the center of the emergency, Silver Commanders would be positioned in an 'Incident Control Room' erected to improve better communications at the scene, and a Gold Commander would be in overall command in the Control Room. officers guarding the scene of a
traffic collision involving a
lorry and a bridge. Police are also responsible for reprimanding minor offenders by issuing
citations which typically may result in the imposition of
fines, particularly for violations of
traffic law. Traffic enforcement is often, but not always, accomplished by police officers on
police motorcycles—called
motor officers, these officers refer to the
motorcycles they ride on duty as simply
motors. Police are also trained to assist persons in distress, such as motorists whose cars have broken down and people experiencing a medical emergency. Police are typically trained in basic
first aid such as
CPR. Some
park rangers are commissioned as law enforcement officers and carry out a law-enforcement role within
national parks and other back-country wilderness and recreational areas, whereas
military police perform law enforcement functions within the military. ==Entry and promotion qualifications==