10 Surprising Organizations with Their Own Police Forces

The rise of cameras—whether security cameras, dashcams, or the ones in our phones—has completely transformed how we see the world, especially when it comes to policing. It’s like everyone’s got a front-row seat to what’s happening around them, and that’s led to a flood of stories about police misconduct, abuse, and just plain bad behavior. It’s everywhere, and it’s hard to ignore.

Now, don’t get me wrong—police officers often get a bad rap in the media, and sometimes it’s totally justified. But let’s be real: someone’s gotta keep things in order, right? The question is, how? Some groups think they’ve got a better answer, and they’re taking matters into their own hands by creating their own versions of law enforcement. It’s a bold move, and it’s definitely got people talking.

What’s interesting is how this shift is playing out. On one hand, cameras are holding people accountable—cops included. On the other, they’re sparking debates about privacy, trust, and whether the system we’ve got now is even working. It’s a messy, complicated situation, but it’s also kind of fascinating when you think about it. After all, when everyone’s watching, everyone’s got a story to tell.

10.Post Police Are Sworn, Federal Officers With Full Powers of Arrest

Did you know that postal police are among the oldest law enforcement agencies in the world? It’s true! The UK’s Post Office Investigation Branch, for example, has been around for over 300 years. That’s three centuries of chasing down mail-related crimes—talk about a long history of keeping the post safe.

But it’s not just the UK. The United States has its own Postal Police, and these officers are no joke. They’re fully authorized law enforcement agents, meaning they can arrest you if you commit a crime that falls under their jurisdiction. With over 450 armed officers on duty, they handle a staggering 200 different types of crimes tied to the mail system. Who would’ve thought the mail could be so… dangerous?

And their work isn’t just about lost packages or stolen letters. In 2022 alone, the U.S. Postal Police seized nearly four tons of meth, three tons of cocaine, and one and a half tons of fentanyl. On top of that, they made thousands of arrests for various offenses. It’s wild to think that while we’re waiting for our Amazon orders, these officers are out there tackling serious crime.

9.The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Force is Owned by CP Rail in Canada

At first glance, the name Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police might sound like a random mix of words, but it’s actually a real thing—and a fascinating one at that. Railway police have been around almost as long as railways themselves, but the CPKC Police are a bit of an oddity. Why? Because they’re a Canadian-owned police force operating in the United States with full law enforcement powers. If they arrest you, you’re not getting out of it—you’re going straight to jail.

What makes them even more unique is their jurisdiction. These officers patrol the rail networks across both Canada and the U.S., making them one of the few police forces that operate internationally. In Canada, their authority is granted by a judge, and they’re tasked with enforcing laws related to anything owned or operated by railroads—or even within roughly 500 yards of railway property. In the U.S., they’re fully commissioned by the state they work in, but they also have federal authority to operate across state lines. It’s a rare blend of local and international policing.

The CPKC Police came into existence after Canadian Pacific merged with Kansas City Southern, a business move aimed at expanding the railroad’s reach. But here’s the twist: while the merger was all about trains and trade, the law enforcement side of things flew under the radar for a lot of people. Now, questions are being raised about a private company owning a police force that operates in another country. It’s a curious setup, and one that definitely makes you think about how law enforcement can cross borders in unexpected ways.

8.NYC Sanitation Has its Own Police Force

When you think of New York City’s Sanitation Department, you probably picture garbage trucks and street sweepers. But here’s something you might not know: they also have their own police force. And not just any police force—305 undercover officers who blend in so well, you’d never see them coming. Their job? Busting people for crimes like illegal dumping, stealing recyclables, and other trash-related offenses. Yes, trash crimes are a real thing.

These sanitation officers aren’t just handing out tickets for littering or failing to leash your dog (though they do plenty of that, too). They’re also armed and trained to handle more serious situations when needed. But according to one officer, the most common issue they deal with is public urination. Apparently, in a city as big as New York, even the smallest infractions can add up fast.

And they’re busy. In 2018 alone, the Sanitation Police issued nearly half a million tickets for various violations. That’s a lot of fines for dirty sidewalks, unbagged trash, and, well, other messes you’d rather not think about.

7.Pretty Much Every College Has its Own Armed Police Force

Something you may not be aware of, or perhaps have never paid much attention to, is the fact that pretty much every college campus has its own private police force that is meant to maintain law and order. For many, campus police are a bit of a joke, but they can get serious at times.

Over 100 campuses in the US have struck deals with the US Department of Defense. That means a college police force can have access to things like grenade launchers or M-16s. They are not municipal cops even though they may work inside a city as they are employed directly by the college itself. That means the rules they uphold are necessarily the laws as you know them, they’re the rules set down by college administration.

The first college police force dates back to 1894 at Yale. By the time the 1960s rolled around, college cops were able to carry guns on campus. Most of these police forces came about after colleges lobbied to have the right to create them in the wake of Vietnam War protests. Many of those protests took place on college campuses, and the schools wanted a way to protect themselves from the protesters, rather than to keep the students on campus safe.

Things get a little dicey with campus police when you find out that some of them have jurisdiction outside of campuses. In some cases, college police can perform things like traffic stops outside of the limits of the college campus. In 2015, a college police officer was charged with murder after shooting a man during a traffic stop. The victim, Samuel DeBose, was not on campus and was not a student.

6.The US Supreme Court Has the Supreme Court Police Force

If you wanted to go see the Supreme Court in the United States, you could schedule a visit. Like most government buildings, visitors can go on a tour and learn about its history. While you’re there, you might also notice that the Supreme Court has its own police force that provides security for the building, appropriately called the Supreme Court police force.

The purpose of the Supreme Court police is to protect the court, the grounds, and employees and visitors who are on the property. They also offer protection for dignitaries, including Supreme Court Justices both domestically and internationally. That means if Supreme Court judges are required to go somewhere, Supreme Court police can go with them to provide security. It’s not quite the same as the Secret Service following the President around, but it’s in the ballpark.

In 2024 the Supreme Court was looking to boost the Supreme Court police budget by over $19 million. This was due to the perceived need for Supreme Court judges to have increased security, including at their private residences.

This might make you conclude that the judges don’t have security currently, which isn’t true. The US Marshal Service actually provides security for the Supreme Court judges’ homes but the court wanted to change that. They wanted their own police force to take over the duties because of “evolving concerns.”

5.The British Antarctic Territory Has Laws and Police But No Permanent Residents

The British Antarctic Territory sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s very real. As the name suggests, it’s a slice of Antarctica managed by the British government. No one actually lives there—no towns, no cities, not even a proper government. What you’ll find are research stations, a historic base, and, oddly enough, a boat. Oh, and there’s also a police force. Yes, a police force in one of the most remote places on Earth.

If you’re curious about how law enforcement works in such a frozen, desolate place, you can check out their ordinances online. But fair warning: no matter how dull you think legal documents might be, these take boring to a whole new level. We’re talking about rules so specific and dry that they could put even the most dedicated law enthusiast to sleep.

Here’s the kicker: despite having no permanent residents, the territory has its own set of laws—about two dozen of them. Anything not covered by these falls under regular British law. So, if you somehow manage to commit a crime in this icy wilderness (good luck with that), you’d have to be extradited back to the UK to face justice. Imagine getting arrested in Antarctica and then shipped halfway across the world for a court date. It’s as bizarre as it sounds.

4.The Wealthy Can Create Their Own Private Police Forces

If you’re going to be filthy rich, then you might as well make the most of it like a proper 1980s movie villain. Hire your own private police force so you can flaunt the law however you like. It may sound ridiculous, but it’s something that wealthy people actually do.

In the French Quarter of New Orleans, when a millionaire reality TV star was robbed and couldn’t get the mayor to return his phone calls, he decided to create his own police force. Operating as a neighborhood watch, which has been accused of essentially being a vigilante group, it’s made up of off-duty police officers who were getting paid a premium wage for moonlighting as private police.

People in the neighborhood could use an app to report crimes to the private force rather than the actual police force. The French Quarter Task Force, as it was called, was initially funded by the millionaire Creator but was then Handled by a voluntary occupancy tax paid for by locals amounted to about $1.2 million a year.

Miami has an exclusive Island for billionaires that has its own 13-person police force to protect residents. Like the French Quarter Task Force, this private police force isn’t subject to the Constitution the same way actual police forces are. There’s very little accountability and no way to know what they’re up to if they don’t really want to tell you.

3.Amtrak Operates a Police Force

We already saw that the railroads have police forces in the US and Canada but that force is concerned only with freight trains. When it comes to passenger trains, meaning Amtrak in the US, you’re in a whole new realm. For that reason, Amtrak operates its own police force.

Like the CPKC police, their job is to deal with any crimes that happen on or around Amtrak trains and facilities. A lot of that deals with trespassing which can end up being fatal. There are over 500 Amtrak officers throughout the United States

2.Dams in the US Have Their Own Special Forces Teams

In any given year about seven million people are going to go visit the Hoover Dam. Never underestimate the drawing power of concrete holding back water. But with so many people going to the Hoover Dam every year, and the fact that it is an important location, it needs to be secure.

The Bureau of Reclamation, which you may have never heard of before, has its own security response Force to protect the dam. The Bureau of Reclamation oversees wholesale water and hydroelectric power in the United States. The Security Response Force is your water and/or power’s first and last line of defense.

Located at all major dams, not just Hoover, the SRF protects sites, employees, and assets, as well as visitors.

1.NASA Has a SWAT Team

NASA has a SWAT team. Let that sink in for a second. Just the idea alone sounds like the plot of a blockbuster action movie—imagine a group of heavily armed, tactical experts taking down space criminals or defending a rocket launch from terrorists. The possibilities are endless, and honestly, Hollywood should probably get on this.

But the reality, while maybe not as cinematic, is still pretty fascinating. Known as the Emergency Response Team (ERT), this specialized unit is tasked with handling serious threats at the Kennedy Space Center, which spans a massive 44,000 acres. Think about it: protecting one of the most iconic space facilities in the world is no small job.

The team consists of 29 highly trained members, working alongside regular security to deal with high-level threats like terrorism or active shooters. And yes, they have snipers. Like any elite SWAT team, they train year-round to stay sharp and ready for anything. In fact, in 2019, NASA’s SWAT team competed against 55 other teams from across the country and placed 10th. Not too shabby for a group better known for launching rockets than tactical operations.

While they might not be battling aliens or rogue astronauts (as far as we know), NASA’s SWAT team is a real-life example of how even the most unexpected places need top-tier security. It’s a reminder that behind every space mission, there’s a team of Earth-bound badasses keeping things safe.