formal social control law enforcement http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85075302 http://purl.bioontology.org/ontology/MESH/D035846 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Law_enforcement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement Activities of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, and/or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. Although the term encompasses police, courts, and corrections, it is most frequently applied to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders, a task typically carried out by the police, sheriff or another law enforcement organization. enforcement of law