Do we use “the” with “police”?

Student Question:

Sometimes I see “police” and sometimes I see “the police” – what’s the difference?

Answer:

Use the police when referring to the institution/organization:

• The store has been robbed. Call the police!
• My son wants to join the police when he grows up.

Police (without “the”) can be used to refer to an unspecified number of individual officers:

• Police searched the area for evidence.
• He was killed in a shootout with police.

…but it’s also OK to use “the” in these situations:

• The police searched the area for evidence.
• He was killed in a shootout with the police.

When referring to the institution/organization, always use the police.

When referring to a group of officers, you can use police or the police – both are OK

Never say “a police” to talk about an individual. Instead, say:

• a policeman
• a policewoman
• a police officer