Do different police agencies have power in new york city (NYPD)?

Question

i go to john jay college of criminal justice in manhattan, new york city. Well, the other day I saw a metropolitan police van (washington d.c) in new york. I was wondering what they were doing here? lol

and then that day I saw two virginia police cars in MANHATTAN!

That made me think, because the NYPD has a pretty strict policing policy about their city. Since I read in the newspaper that the NYPD are always giving trouble to FBI agents during competition between the two agencies. Im joining the NYPD soon and I know they think they are a super power of NYC and yet I saw different police forces here? My question is what they were doing here and if they have any power what so ever here?

Answer 1

Just because you saw different agencies vehicles in New York it doesn't mean they were "policing." I have a take home vehicle and I don't live in the same city I work in, so my car is in the wrong city MOST of the time. I also bring my car into other cities to go to the mechanic, work on a case, or if another agency needs assistance.

Answer 2

i know  i shaw a nmsp in Texas with full running police light and siren.....so i ask my dad(an ret cop) he said  that most departments can run code to help other law enforcement officers in that state, or they could be transporting a prisoner

Answer 3

Every area has multiple police agencies.  Most cities have their own police force, along with the county-wide sheriff's department, and the state-wide State Patrol (or State Police), and the nation-wide FBI, DEA, ATF, etc.  

All police officers have jurisdiction over the entire state they are licensed in, as they are licensed by the state, not the agency.

On top of that, squads can go to other cities or states for training, doesn't necessarily mean they are on duty.  In states of emergency, such as the huricane in New Orleans, officers from all over the country head to the area and help out doing police work.

Answer 4

What ever it was it was police business. Police, in what ever state, have jurisdiction at all scenes. Its after they assess the situation that other city agency's are notified to respond.

Answer 5

They have peace officer status, but to practice this, they should inform the resident agency of their presence (professional courtesy).

Yesterday in Hunt's Point, I saw a New Jersey unmarked vehicle with its police lights flashing and an NYPD squad car just rode by.

A better example would be Columbia,South Carolina, where you can drive 10 minutes in any direction and come across another jurisdiction (Columbia Police Dept.; Richland County Sheriffs Dept; Cayce Police Dept; Forrest Acres Police Dept).

Answer 6

They were probably retrieving prisoners wanted in their states.  As a prosecutor, I've found that it's not uncommon for defendants to flee the jurisdiction only to be arrested in other states.  Whether or not a state will seek extradition can vary depending on the severity of the charge or the distance (some will only extradite from an adjacent state barring a serious charge) or whether the sought person is also serving serious time in that other state. (If some guy bolts NY, where he faces 2-4 years for Meth sales, NY will probably let things go if the guy turns up in California, doing 20 years for armed robbery.)  The transfer of prisoners between states is subject to certain interstate compacts.

As for that stuff about competition and one agency giving headaches to the other - that's just hyperbole, neither true nor false, just subjective opinion.

Answer 7

If you saw a police van from D.C. they may well have been bringing a prisoner to court or transferring prisoners, anything along those lines. The Virginia Officer could have been involved in an arrest and were coming to testify or transferring a prisoner, many different things. If an officer from another state views a crime in progress and he is in his uniform, he may act, depends on the nature of the crime. If he comes across an accident, he may stop to check for any injuries, direct traffic until the local law enforcement shows up at the scene. All of this depends on what that department rule and regulations dictate that officer to do or not do. The FBI is the National police department, they enforce local, state, and federal laws, just like the officer of that state. FBI can go anywhere in pursuit of a criminal and do not have to have permission from anyone to make an arrest anywhere in America. Federal crimes trump state crimes, unless it is murder. NYPD has always been jealous of the FBI, because the prosecute so many NYPD officers..Remember this; New York City is inside of a county, the county is inside the state, and the state inside the nation. So NYPD is actually 4 th as it pertains to the ladder of importance.

Answer 8

might be in nyc on extraditions.