2. SONY announces Q1 results.

(It is one company.)

Hi MM,

The police is.../The police are...

So, I think that one can also say: SONY announces.../SONY announce...

My understanding is that SONY may have this notion of plurality when treated as a 'binary noun'.

'Police' is a special case, a plural-only noun. '(X) Police is' is not possible.

A company may be treated as plural but not when it is being considered a single entity (rather than a group of employees), as in the example presented in this thread.

Hi,

"'Police' is a special case, a plural-only noun. '(X) Police is' is not possible."

In BE the "the police is..." is quite legitimate.

Hello, Anon.

Would you please produce a reputable example, as from a British newspaper, for instance? Here is the Oxford Dictionary entry:

noun

[treated as plural] (usually the police)

And here is the Cambridge Dictionary entry:

police plural noun

Hi,

I've found this:

"The Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said the Metropolitan Police is no longer "institutionally racist" ahead of the 10th anniversary of a landmark report which made the claim." [The Telegraph 15 June 2011]

Anyway, MM, you're right; I have to retreat my "the police is...". It's a plural noun, indeed.

Hi

'The police' can be a singular noun when referring to the police as an institution. The same is true when referring to the Metropolitan Police.

OK - I can live with that!