"Police": Singular or plural?

Question

Far too often, we at the hospital have to call the police, either to ask them to come in or to let them know they don't have to come in after all. We will write a report about the incident about which we are calling, and, incident reporting being what it is, the passive voice is often called into play.
Should my co-workers and I write, "The police was called," referring to the agency, which would be technically accurate but grammatically clumsy, or, "The police were called"?
I use "were" because when someone asks, "Did the police show up yet?" I respond with, "Yes, they got here a couple of minutes ago." But I've been thinking that when I call, I don't call them*, I call *it*, and *they* respond because they are members of *it.
I'm probably making this more difficult than it is.

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Far too often, we at the hospital have to call the police, either to ask them to come in or ... police was called," referring to the agency, which would be technically accurate but grammatically clumsy, or, "The police were called"?[/nq]
The latter, I think; the former sounds quite odd to me. I can't think of a logical explanation, but that seems to be the idiom.
[nq:1]I use "were" because when someone asks, "Did the police show up yet?" I respond with, "Yes, they got here ... that when I call, I don't call them*, I call *it*, and *they* respond because they are members of *it.[/nq]
A singular form usually enlists another noun, relegating "police" itself to an adjectival role: "police department", "police service", "police force", &c.

Odysseus

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The latter, I think; the former sounds quite odd to me. I can't think of a logical explanation, but that seems to be the idiom.[/nq]
Seems so to me as well.
[nq:1]A singular form usually enlists another noun, relegating "police" itself to an adjectival role: "police department", "police service", "police force", &c.[/nq]
When I think of this, I usually picture the building.

"Excuse me, where is the police department?"
"It's at the corner of Bow Street and Railroad Avenue."

Of course, they're (probably) looking for the building because they want to talk to a cop.

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]We will write a report about the incident about which we are calling, and, incident reporting being what it is, the passive voice is often called into play.[/nq]
Why? Do you wish it to be dreadfully somnolent to read?
[nq:1]Should my co-workers and I write, "The police was called," referring to the agency, which would be technically accurate but grammatically clumsy, or, "The police were called"?[/nq]
"We called the police."
Robert

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]the passive voice is often called into play.[/nq]
[nq:1]Why? Do you wish it to be dreadfully somnolent to read?[/nq]
To be honest? Yes, and no.
Sometimes we have to do things which are, according to the people to whom we have to do them, unreasonable and abusive. Of course, *we* don't consider them to be unreasonable and abusive; we consider them to be unpleasant but neccessary.
For example, today a quite apparently intoxicated man came into the ER and began (loudly) to tell everybody within earshot of his low opinion of "*******" while he was waiting for his turn to be seen by the triage nurse. We called the police, and the police removed him. That was not what he wanted to happen, and we fully expect he will complain that the hospital refused to treat him. When I tell people what happened, I don't want to say *I* did anything; I want the focus on HIM and HIS BEHAVIOR, so I'll use the passive voice when talking about what we did: he was loudly making racially inflammatory comments, the police were called, and he was removed.Also today, a very psychotic woman on the Psychiatric unit struck a nurse who was offering her some medication. I took the patient to the bed on which she was sitting and I held her securely until she agreed to behave in a safe manner. There's always a danger, when I have to do something like that, that the patient will end up with a bruise or two, though I'm pleased to say it's rare.

If she bruises, though, she'll have fodder for a complaint, or perhaps even a lawsuit. If my report is ever called by sub poena, I want it to report HER behavior and what happened as a result, not what I did. I want MY behavior to appear dull, ordinary, and non-aggressive. So I wrote that the patient struck a nurse, and was therefore held securely until she could be medicated.

So, yes, I want the report to be, at least in part, dreadfully somnolent to read. It isn't the only reason, though. There are other advantages to separating, linguistically, the behavior from the person.

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Far too often, we at the hospital have to call the police, either to ask them to come in or to let them know they don't have to come in after all.[/nq]
You answer your own question before you ask it. You refer to the "police" as "them". How can you ask whether "them" is singular or plural? A joke?
"Police" is one of a number of collective nouns, like "cattle". But not all nouns referring to groups are collective nouns consider "gang".
These differences make English fun to learn. :-)
GFH

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Far too often, we at the hospital have to call ... them know they don't have to come in after all.[/nq]
[nq:1]You answer your own question before you ask it. You refer to the "police" as "them". How can you ask whether "them" is singular or plural? A joke?[/nq]
In that post, I plainly stated that I tended to refer to "police" as "them", and wanted to know if I was correct in doing so.
[nq:1]"Police" is one of a number of collective nouns, like "cattle". But not all nouns referring to groups are collective nouns consider "gang".[/nq]
What I was hoping to find out is whether the police are cattle or a gang. (Oh, boy... a straight line.)

Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Far too often, we at the hospital have to call the police, either to ask them to come in or ... couple of minutes ago." But I've been thinking that when I call, I don't call them*, I call *it, and[/nq]
You call the police deparatment or switchboard. You don't call the guys who show up, or you would also say you were calling them.

The plural of police is polices if you live in Baltimore and your name is Mimi DiPietro. Afaik, this isn't even a neighborhood thing, and he was the only one who used this term, but maybe there are others who didn't serve on the city council for many years, so I don't know them. And he's dead now.
[nq:1]they* respond because they are members of *it. I'm probably making this more difficult than it is.[/nq]
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What I was hoping to find out is whether the police are cattle or a gang.[/nq]
Both.
GFH

Usenet · Answer

Like the word "faculty," it depends on whether you mean members or the group as a whole.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]You call the police deparatment or switchboard. You don't call ... I don't know them. And he's dead now. s/ meirman[/nq]
[nq:1]Like the word "faculty," it depends on whether you mean members or the group as a whole.[/nq]
So "polices" would refer to members? Or the group as a whole?

s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years

"Police": Singular or plural?

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