united-states police
Do police have powers that civilians don&#39;t?
<p>Citizens can do many things the police can do: Citizens can detain people, get court orders, and so on. Citizens can't send people to jail (although these days many jails are private).</p>
<p>Is there any distinction between citizens and police? Are police just a government-sponsored security guards?</p>

<h2><a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/police-powers-in-nsw-background-to-the-law-enfor/11-01.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Yes</a></h2>
<p><a href="/questions/tagged/new-south-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;new-south-wales&#39;" rel="tag">new-south-wales</a></p>
<p>A non-exhaustive list:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>At common law, a police officer can arrest without warrant any person the officer
reasonably suspects has committed a felony. A private citizen can arrest without warrant only where a felony has actually been committed. Both police officers and private citizens
can arrest without a warrant a person who commits a breach of the peace, or where it is
reasonably believed that the person is about to commit a breach of the peace.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ol start="2">
<li>In NSW a police officer’s common law duty to take a person before a justice as soon as
practicable after arrest has been replaced by a statutory scheme introduced by the <em>Crimes
Amendment (Detention After Arrest) Act 1997</em>. Under Part 10A police may detain a person for investigation for 4 hours, or for a further period not exceeding 8 hours if a warrant to extend the investigation period is obtained.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<ol start="3">
<li><p>Police can detain people 'for their own good' - for example, an intoxicated or drug-affected person; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can stop and search a suspect before an arrest on reasonable grounds; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can give directions to the public (the 'move-along' power); private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can demand a person's name and address; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can demand disclosure of the identity of a driver and passengers in a motor vehicle; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can stop and search vehicles (including the road block power); private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can conduct forensic procedures; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can conduct customs inspections (as can customs officers); private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can search for internally concealed drugs; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Police can execute search warrants; private citizens can't.</p>
</li>
<li><p>etc.</p>
</li>
</ol>
