In the United States, a police precinct or ward is a geographical area patrolled by a police force. The term "precinct" may also refer to the main police station for such a geographical area.
Practices and cultures of policing often vary considerably from one precinct to another.[1]
Police departments using the precinct system include the following:
- New York City Police Department (see Organization of the New York City Police Department#Police precincts)
- Boston Police Department - now divided into districts
- Portland Police Bureau
- Seattle Police Department
- Buffalo Police Department 1871-1995
- Detroit Police Department
- Chicago Police Department
- Suffolk County Police Department
- Nassau County Police Department
- Yonkers Police Department