A specialist law enforcement agency is a law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...

 which specialises in the types of laws it enforces, or types of activities it undertakes, or geography it enforces laws in, or these in combination.

The specialisation may be imposed voluntarily by policy, consensus with other agencies, or logistical constraints, or it could be imposed legally by law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 and jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

, or it is result of the historical evolution of the agency, or combinations thereof.

For example, some agencies only enforce laws related to tax

Tax

To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...

ation or customs

Customs

Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...

. Other agencies can only operate in certain areas, for example government

Government

Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

-occupied buildings and land, or on waterways. Some agencies have otherwise unrestricted jurisdiction, but specialise in certain types of operations, for example highway patrol

Highway patrol

A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...

s.

Specialities can include: For example, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police is the uniformed police service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for the protection of the VA Medical Centers and other facilities operated by United States Department of Veterans Affairs and its subsidiary...

. For example, United States Border Patrol

United States Border Patrol

The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...

. For example, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement is a federal police part of the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland...

. For example, United States Park Police

United States Park Police

The United States Park Police is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Service areas primarily located in the Washington, D.C., San...

. For example, United States Postal Inspection Service

United States Postal Inspection Service

The United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. Its jurisdiction is defined as "crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S...

. For example, Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag

Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag

The Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag is a German Federal police organization protecting the premises of the Bundestag in Berlin....

. For example, Florida Highway Patrol

Florida Highway Patrol

The Division of the Florida Highway Patrol is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the law enforcement agency charged with ensuring the safety of the highways and roads of the state.-History:...

. For example, Australian Customs Service

Australian Customs Service

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is the Australian Federal Government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border, facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and goods, and collecting border-related duties and...

. For example, Independent Commission Against Corruption (New South Wales). For example, Australian Taxation Office

Australian Taxation Office

The Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...

. For example, Canadian Pacific Railway Police Service

Canadian Pacific Railway Police Service

The Canadian Pacific Police Service is a private police force enforcing safety and policing along Canadian Pacific Railway properties and rail lines in Canada and the United States, including limited sections of the Milton line of GO Transit in the Greater Toronto Area.The current head of the CP...

. For example, Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency

Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency

The Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency is a law enforcement agency located in the state of Iowa. Like the Iowa State Patrol, the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency is a statewide agency, however unlike the Patrol it is primarily concerned with the enforcement of laws...

. For example, Special Protection Group

Special Protection Group

The Special Protection Group is the executive protection agency of the Government of India. It is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister of India, other top officials, and their immediate families. The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It is one...

. For example, Serious Fraud Office (UK)

Serious Fraud Office (UK)

The Serious Fraud Office is an independent UK Government department that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and corruption...

. For example, Central Reserve Police Force

Central Reserve Police Force

The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain...

. For example, Diplomatic Security Service

Diplomatic Security Service

The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...

. For example, Indian Coast Guard

Indian Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....

.
See Specialist law enforcement agencies for a list of specialist agencies.