Peace officer

A peace officer, in North America, is any public-sector person charged with upholding the peace, mainly police officers, constables, correction officers, probation officers, parole officers, and American sheriffs or marshals and their deputies.

Modern legal codes use the term peace officer to include every public-sector person vested by the legislating state with law-enforcement authority—traditionally, anyone "sworn, badged, and armable" but, basically, who can arrest, or refer such arrest for a criminal prosecution. Hence, city police officers, county sheriffs' deputies, and state troopers are usually vested with the same authority within a given jurisdiction.

Jurisdictions may restrict the powers granted to those who have "peace-officer status" as opposed to "police status". For example, in New York State, all New York State Court Officers as well as Court Clerks assigned to the 1st and 2nd Judicial Departments are classified as Peace Officers; they are allowed to execute bench warrants, but not arrest warrants.