Last Updated on May 11, 2022 by Fair Punishment Team

Knowing the various sections of the United States government is important. Understanding how our government operates is vitally important if you want to be able to engage with it as much as possible and understand what each different department and agency does.

This is particularly important if you are concerned with safety. 

Being able to be certain as to who is ensuring that you and your family are safe is vitally important for your peace of mind.

So, if you are unaware of what the Department of Public Safety does and how it can help improve your community, then you need to find a piece that will give you this information. Luckily, you just happen to be reading such an article. 

What does the Department of Public Safety do?

It is important to know what different departments of your local state’s administration actually do and The Department of Public Safety is one of the most important ones to know about. The Department of Public Safety is responsible for a variety of things dependent on which state you live in. 

For example, in states like Alabama, Texas, South Carolina and many others the Department of Public Safety is all encompassing and a part of the state police service. In some states this goes as far as the state police merely being a division of the Department of Public Safety.

So the Department of Public Safety is simply the local police? Well, not quite. In Alabama for example the Department of Public Safety is responsible for the work of the Highway Patrol force and the Marine Patrol force but not the actual state police as the Alabama Police Department deals with specific policing matters such as investigating crimes not occurring on the highway or Alabama’s waters. 

In other states, the role of the Department of Public Safety is somewhat different. In Florida for example the situation is somewhat more complicated as the Department of Public Safety is in fact called the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and is responsible for five areas which include the Florida Capitol Police and the Criminal Justice Information programme.

As such the Florida equivalent to the Department of Public Safety is starkly different from other departments in different parts of the country. This means that there is no real set standard across the US as to which areas a Department of Public Safety is responsible, as is the same with many other aspects of American life. 

The general idea for any Department of Public Safety is to ensure that the public’s safety is improved not simply through the implementation of the law but also through providing information on areas that don’t have great crime rates.

For example, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety is responsible for the dissemination of public safety information such as how to ensure that children cross the road safely as well as having responsibility over alcohol and gambling licenses. 

The extent that the Department for Public Safety has in different parts of America does mean that it is an institution that can easily deal with different situations when they arise and be able to liaise with other parts of the state establishment to resolve problems quickly and effectively. 

The vast and flexible nature of the Department of Public Safety is particularly noticeable in Hawaii where the Department is responsible for not only narcotics enforcement but also Sheriff’s department and prisons and jails both on and off the island.

This is in part because Hawaii does not have any state police service, meaning that much of the service that in other states is carried out by the state’s police service is done by the Department of Public Safety. 

Hawaii is not the only US state in which part, or all of the prison service is run by the Department of Public Safety. In American Samoa the Department of Public Safety is also responsible for the single correctional facility on the island. 

Yet the Department of Public Safety often has fewer responsibilities, again dependent on the state. In Massachusetts the Department of Public Safety is responsible for ensuring that elevators are in good working order and that amusement arcades are properly checked to make sure that they are working properly.

Whilst this is still an important area of concern for the people of Massachusetts it is not on the same scale as that work done by the Department of Public Safety in Hawaii. 

So, in truth, what the Department of Public Safety does in each state really depends on what each state’s executive has decided it should be responsible for. It is therefore important to properly assess what your state’s Department of Public Safety does before you get in contact with them regarding a particular matter.

Whilst all are concerned with public safety, some have far more responsibility than others in protecting and defending the people of their particular state. 

Why knowing about your Department of Public Safety is important 

The Department of Public Safety is one of the most important parts of a state’s infrastructure because it is responsible for a variety of different things depending on the state that you live in. This gives it a flexible amount of power that is useful to understand if you wish to engage with it to report a crime or if you find yourself at the other end of its investigatory powers. 

Knowing the limits and extents of your individual state’s Department of Public Safety can allow you to not only be a safer citizen but a more informed one. It can truly give you greater onus on your life and allow you to feel that you know exactly how your state’s government works and ensure that you can do your best to make sure your family is kept safe. 

Whether you are in Hawaii or Massachusetts, knowing exactly what your Department of Public Safety does is integral to ensuring your life is a happy and safe one. So if you are unsure as to the remit of your state’s Department of Public Safety, make sure to find out today.