noun
The police as an organization or institution.
警察に通報してください。
Please report it to the police.
彼は警察に捕まった。
He was caught by the police.
noun
Abbreviation of 警察官; refers to an individual officer. Common in casual speech.
See also: 警察官
あそこに警察が二人立っている。
Two police officers are standing over there.
noun
Abbreviation of 警察署; refers to the building or local branch. Used in everyday conversation.
See also: 警察署
落とし物を警察に届けた。
I turned in the lost item at the police station.
noun, used as a suffix
self-appointed enforcer; busybody; vigilante; gatekeeper
Colloquial suffix use; attaches to a noun to describe someone who polices or enforces rules in that domain, often with a negative or humorous tone.
彼はマナー警察みたいにいつも人の行動をチェックしている。
He's always checking people's behavior like a manners police.
ネットの言葉遣いにうるさい人がいて、まるで日本語警察だ。
There's someone who's strict about online language, like a Japanese language police.