Police are state-empowered bodies tasked with enforcing laws, protecting public order, and ensuring citizens' safety and property, possessing the lawful authority for arrest and the legitimate use of force. Typically public sector and tax-funded, they are generally distinct from the military, although gendarmerie are military units specifically charged with civil policing. The modern concept of police as paid state functionaries was significantly developed by 17th and 18th-century scholars, notably Nicolas Delamare with his 1705 Traité de la Police. While essential in complex societies, their role can sometimes be controversial due to issues like corruption, brutality, or authoritarian enforcement. The word "police" itself, first attested in English in the early 15th century, originates from the Ancient Greek "polis" (city) through Latin and Middle French.