The history of law enforcementThe organizational structure of law enforcement of any state is built in accordance with the functions entrusted to the police. In turn, the functions performed by law enforcement agencies in different states have largely evolved historically and are usually formed due to the peculiarities of the national, social and political development of a particular state and the traditions of its society. I paid my attention to the most interesting stories, in my opinion, of law enforcement systems – in America and in Europe, particularly in France. Speaking of Europe, the law enforcement system inherently incorporates the notion of policing. The word “police” is Greek and originally meant a state, a city (Wakefield, 2009). From the 14th century its value began to change and, over time, police began to be seen only as activities in the field of public order, which were carried out under state coercion. In its modern form, the police unit was formed in Europe at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. During this historical period, the process of functionally organized formation of police systems in most countries was finally completed. The French National Gendarmerie is one of the oldest European public institutions of its kind. The gendarmerie, which occupied a dual position in the state structure, in recent centuries combined the functions of the army with those of the police and enjoyed considerable autonomy within the armed forces. In 1337 there was a horse guard - a special military unit, subject of the king's military advisor. The civil wars of the 16th century weakened the king's central authority; the country was inundated with gangs of thieves who terrorized the inhabitants... of good reputation (Wakefield, 2009). By 1974, police began wearing soft body armor to protect themselves from gun attacks (Important Dates in the History of Law Enforcement, 2014). In 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was formed to complement national efforts to protect America. As we can see, the law enforcement system was formed over many centuries of history, starting as horse guards and rangers up to modern police departments, agencies and states, performing a variety of functions and meeting the requirements of each period of time. The comprehensive study of the evolution of foreign police forces is relevant and has scientific significance; there may be a promising area of ​​historical and legal research. The analysis of state laws on the development of the law enforcement system of different countries represents an important step in this direction.