A police escort, also known as a law enforcement escort, is a service offered by

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

and

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...

to assist in transporting important individuals or resources. This is done by means of assigning police vehicles, primarily

cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

motorcycles A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising, ...

, to precede, surround, and/or follow a vehicle, or group of vehicles. Other government departments also provide escort services, such as

secret service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...

and

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

. An escort can range widely in size, beginning with a single vehicle. They almost always assist with motorcades for the transportation of senior public officials, such as

heads of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and le ...

heads of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...

, or can be hired by celebrities, professional athletes, funerals. ICE Arrest

A police escort does not need to be side by side to those being escorted, nor does it have to be conducted using vehicles; any form of visible police protection for an important person or resource is considered a police escort. The purpose of the police escort is to ensure those who are being escorted get to their destination in a safe manner.

Footnotes

Law enforcement Escorts Near Main Road {{law-enforcement-stub

See also

Footnotes