A newspaper ran this headline today:
Police crack down on IAC protesters.
Isn't the following more appropriate?
Police cracks down on IAC protesters.
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It takes a plural verb: macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/police– JLGCommented Aug 27, 2012 at 4:19
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Whyever would it take a singular verb? It is not just one police who is doing the cracking down. It’s the police force in general who are doing it.– tchrist ♦Commented Aug 27, 2012 at 4:29
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3Government cracks down on IAC protesters. As a Brit, I don' mind that "newspaper headline" using singular or plural verb with government. But police can only be plural to me. I'm not sure why.– FumbleFingersCommented Aug 27, 2012 at 4:40
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@FumbleFingers: To me too. I suppose it's because the police are only ever perceived as police men and women and not as an abstract whole.– Barrie EnglandCommented Aug 27, 2012 at 6:40
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1@painfulenglish: I'm not familiar with that usage (The Wire is an American show), so it sounds decidedly "odd" to me. But possibly in the minds of those who use it, it's a gender-neutral alternative to policeman/policewomen, in which case it has no bearing on the Police cracks down on IAC protesters suggestion above. Don't forget that TV shows are not above making up non-standard usages that are easily understood, purely to give the impression they're giving you a "glimpse behind the scenes" (even a cop can't be sure they don't use the term in other police forces).– FumbleFingersCommented Nov 10, 2014 at 22:02
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1 Answer
Definition of police
noun
[treated as plural] (usually the police)
the civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order:
local people have lost faith in the police
Unlike (FF's) government which can be treated as singular or plural, police is treated as plural.
answered Aug 27, 2012 at 6:06
