The fundamental purpose of the National Park Service (NPS) is "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
The United States Park Police (USPP) is an entity of the NPS with the responsibility to provide law enforcement services to designated areas within the NPS, and other areas as requested. USPP prevent and detect criminal activity as well as conduct investigations and apprehend those individuals suspected of committing offenses against Federal, State, and local laws. The USPP is comprised of the Services Division, Homeland Security Division, and Field Operations Division.
The United States Park Police (USPP) (the Force) has been on duty protecting Federal Parks for more than 200 years since it was created in 1791 by the first president, George Washington. The oldest federal uniformed police force, the USPP is a unit of the Department of the Interior(DOI)/National Park Service (NPS) with jurisdiction in all NPS areas and certain other Federal and State lands and serves as the National Park Service urban park interface between society and our nation’s most cherished symbols of democracy.
The Force provides law enforcement services to designated areas within the NPS (primarily the Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco, California metropolitan areas) and through the efforts of highly trained and professional police officers who selflessly work to prevent and detect criminal activity; conduct investigations; apprehend individuals suspected of committing offenses against Federal, State and local laws; provide protection to the President of the United States and visiting dignitaries; provide protective services to some of the most recognizable monuments, memorials, and special events in the world; and ensure visitors to these areas are guaranteed their Constitutional rights to free speech and lawful assembly. Officers defend these symbols of democracy, what they represent, and those who visit them by embracing our duty and responsibility to those we serve and the protection of the civil liberties that make us all free. We are proud of our heritage, our history, and our mission.
Chief Of Police - Jessica M.E. Taylor
USPP
Strategic Plan Committee
Last updated: May 19, 2023