This is the 11722nd most frequent Portuguese word.
policia
"Polícia" means "police" in English.
Here, 'polícia' refers to the law enforcement organization as a collective entity.
Eu vi a polícia patrulhando as ruas da cidade.
I saw the police patrolling the city streets.
In this context, 'polícia' refers to the members of the law enforcement organization responsible for investigations.
Ela perguntou se a polícia já tinha resolvido o caso.
She asked if the police had already solved the case.
Here, 'polícia' signifies the authority figure capable of issuing fines for parking violations.