After our roundup of unusual police agencies, Police1 readers had a clear message for us: You missed a few. And you were right. Across the country, highly specialized law enforcement units are working behind the scenes to protect everything from drinking water and marine ecosystems to intelligence facilities, livestock herds and even some of the nation’s most iconic cultural landmarks.
So, we went back to the list — this time with your help. Here’s a deeper dive into the agencies you said deserve recognition. These officers serve in environments most law enforcement professionals never encounter, yet their work is vital to public safety, national security and the everyday systems Americans rely on.
1. Railroad Retirement Board Office of Investigations
The Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Investigations (OI) serves as the investigative arm of the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) Office of Inspector General, working to safeguard the federal benefit programs that support the nation’s railroad workforce. Staffed by special agents with full federal law enforcement authority, OI has the power to investigate crimes, execute warrants and pursue criminal prosecutions involving fraud against RRB programs.
OI investigates a wide range of fraud and misconduct involving RRB programs, including the fraudulent receipt of disability, unemployment, sickness, retirement and survivor benefits. The agency also handles cases involving Railroad Medicare fraud, conspiracy to defraud benefit programs, false reporting by railroad employers and criminal violations committed by RRB personnel. These investigations can result in criminal convictions, civil judgments, the recovery of misused federal funds and administrative sanctions.
Acting nationwide, OI plays a vital role in maintaining trust in federal benefit systems relied upon by both active and retired railroad employees. To support its national caseload, OI operates two field offices — one at the agency’s Chicago headquarters and another in Philadelphia — allowing investigators to respond quickly to reports of fraud across the country.
2. New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Police is the specialized law enforcement agency responsible for safeguarding one of the largest and most complex drinking water systems in the world. With a jurisdiction spanning thousands of square miles across multiple counties, DEP Police officers protect the reservoirs, lakes, aqueducts, dams and critical infrastructure that deliver more than a billion gallons of water each day to New York City and surrounding communities.
The scale of that mission requires officers who are trained far beyond traditional patrol work. Recruits graduate from an academy that combines counterterrorism training, environmental protection coursework, police science, firearms instruction and defensive tactics with specialized classes in conservation law, navigation and watershed stewardship. Their work takes them deep into forests, across rugged terrain and into remote areas that support the city’s water supply.
DEP Police patrol this vast network by land, water and air. Officers use patrol cars, bicycles, boats, ATVs and helicopters to monitor conditions, respond to incidents and ensure the security of dams, treatment facilities and laboratory sites. The agency’s aviation unit, developed in the years after 9/11, now conducts daily flights across a territory larger than some states. From the air, investigators can spot environmental issues, monitor for potential threats and support ground units during emergencies, severe weather events and search operations.
To meet the demands of such a wide-ranging mission, the division maintains a detective bureau, emergency service unit, K-9 team and aviation group. These specialized resources allow DEP Police to address everything from illegal activity on watershed property to infrastructure concerns, spills, wildlife issues and more.
3. U.S. National Zoological Park Police
The U.S. National Zoological Park Police (NZPP) is one of the oldest continuously operating police forces in Washington, D.C., serving a mission unlike any other in federal law enforcement. As part of the Smithsonian Institution, NZPP officers are responsible for protecting the National Zoo in the District of Columbia and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia — two sites that encompass everything from public walkways and research labs to large expanses of protected habitat.
This specialized agency provides full-service policing for facilities that welcome millions of visitors each year while also housing rare and endangered species. Officers are federal law enforcement personnel with authority in both D.C. and Virginia, allowing them to enforce laws, conduct investigations, support emergency operations and work alongside the Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Park Police and other regional and federal partners. Their work blends traditional police responsibilities with the unique challenges of securing a living, breathing institution where public safety, animal welfare and scientific research intersect.
4. Washington National Cathedral Police
The Washington National Cathedral Police is a small, specialized force responsible for protecting the 57-acre campus of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation — home to the National Cathedral, three schools, a parish church, administrative buildings, residences and extensive grounds used for worship, education and major public events.
Although the agency is private in structure, its officers are licensed as special police through the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., giving them full arrest authority while on duty. They may enforce applicable laws on Cathedral Foundation property and can continue that authority off-property when engaged in pursuit of a suspect. Every sworn member is armed and trained to the standards required for special police officers in the District.
Their work blends everyday public safety responsibilities with the demands of securing a site that routinely hosts large gatherings, ceremonial events and high-profile visitors. Officers provide traffic control, school safety support, community policing and protection details, often coordinating with the Metropolitan Police Department and federal agencies when major state events take place on Cathedral grounds.
Personnel attend the Washington, D.C. Campus Law Enforcement Academy alongside other campus and special police agencies, ensuring consistent professional training across the city. With roughly 20 members, the Cathedral Police serve a mission unlike any other in the region — safeguarding a landmark that functions as a place of worship, a school environment and a national ceremonial space all at once.
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5. Office of Naval Intelligence Police
The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) Police is a civilian law enforcement agency operating within the Department of the Navy, dedicated to securing one of the most sensitive intelligence facilities in the country. These officers are responsible for protecting the National Maritime Intelligence Center (NMIC) — a complex that houses classified operations, critical infrastructure and a diverse workforce of military personnel, federal employees and contractors.
Their mission focuses on safeguarding the people, property and information inside the facility. Officers control access to the complex, patrol the perimeter, respond to emergencies and conduct investigations tied to alarms, criminal activity and security violations. They also manage traffic enforcement, interact daily with employees and visitors and support force protection operations throughout the NMIC grounds. The work requires a blend of traditional policing and high-level security responsibilities, reflecting the evolving threat environment around national intelligence assets.
Becoming an ONI Police officer demands a strong foundation of experience and training. Applicants must demonstrate specialized law enforcement or security experience, complete a physical agility test and graduate from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Uniformed Police Training Program. Officers are expected to meet stringent annual physical, medical and firearms qualifications and must obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information access. The role involves rotating shifts, exposure to difficult weather conditions and the ability to perform essential duties during emergencies — a requirement of the position’s key and mission-essential designation.
6. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) is a federal agency with one of the broadest and most challenging patrol areas in the United States. Charged with protecting the nation’s marine resources, OLE enforces the laws that govern sustainable fisheries, safeguard threatened and endangered species, and preserve the habitats that support them. Their jurisdiction stretches across more than 3 million square miles of open ocean, from the nation’s coastlines to the far reaches of the Exclusive Economic Zone.
OLE special agents and enforcement officers are sworn federal law enforcement personnel who carry firearms, conduct criminal and civil investigations and have arrest authority under the marine conservation laws they enforce. Their work includes monitoring fishing activity, preventing illegal harvesting, investigating harassment or harm to protected species and ensuring compliance with international treaty obligations. These officers patrol by air and sea, inspect vessels and facilities, respond to reports of violations and use advanced tools — including electronic vessel monitoring — to identify suspicious activity across vast distances.
The agency’s mission supports NOAA Fisheries’ broader mandate to protect marine ecosystems and ensure sustainable fishing for future generations. OLE partners with state, tribal and federal agencies, as well as coastal communities and fishermen, to promote compliance and educate stakeholders. Their presence extends to 16 national marine sanctuaries and multiple marine national monuments, where officers help protect some of the most sensitive and biologically rich waters in the world.
7. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police is the armed, uniformed federal law enforcement service responsible for protecting VA medical centers and the many facilities that support the nation’s veterans. Their jurisdiction extends across a wide network of sites — from major VA Medical Centers to outpatient clinics, healthcare campuses, annexes and administrative facilities operated by the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration and the National Cemetery Administration. Their responsibilities also include locations in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
VA Police officers focus on preventing crime, maintaining order and responding to incidents that occur within VA authority. They conduct criminal investigations, enforce federal regulations and provide security for the patients, staff and visitors who rely on VA services. More complex or sensitive cases may be handled by special agents from the VA Office of Inspector General, who work alongside VA Police when needed.
Their authority comes from Title 38 of the United States Code, which establishes the policing powers and enforcement responsibility of VA officers. Additional rules specific to VA property are detailed in the Code of Federal Regulations. Together, these authorities allow VA Police — including specialized criminal investigators — to provide safety and security across one of the nation’s largest integrated health and benefits systems.
8. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Rangers
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) maintains one of the most distinctive law enforcement operations in the country: a team of Special Rangers dedicated to investigating agricultural crime across Texas and Oklahoma. Formed in 1877 to combat widespread livestock theft, the association has evolved into a modern organization serving thousands of cattle producers, with its Special Rangers still central to that mission.
TSCRA employs roughly 30 Special Rangers stationed throughout the region. Each is a sworn peace officer commissioned through the Texas Department of Public Safety or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and several Rangers along the border hold dual commissions that allow them to investigate cases in both states. Their work includes recovering stolen cattle, horses, trailers, saddles and ranch equipment, as well as pursuing agricultural fraud and determining livestock ownership after natural disasters. Rangers also manage estray livestock issues, provide theft-prevention education and assist other agencies when cases cross county or state lines.
Their efforts are supported by TSCRA market inspectors, who document brands and identifying marks on millions of cattle sold annually at more than 100 livestock markets. That information feeds into the nation’s largest centralized brand recording and retrieval system, giving Special Rangers a powerful tool for tracking stolen or missing animals. TSCRA’s law enforcement division also distributes alerts to hundreds of law enforcement agencies nationwide, increasing the likelihood of recovery. On average, Rangers recover or account for about $5 million in livestock and property each year.
BEFORE YOU GO: Did you know there are even more little-known but fascinating law enforcement agencies operating across the U.S.? Check out this list of 10 more unique police forces you’ve probably never heard of:
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