student asking question

'cop' sounds somewhat informal. Does it sound offensive if I call police officers 'cops' in front of them?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, it's considered offensive. "Cop" is an informal term so it's okay to use it with friends or in casual situations, but it's best to call police officers "Officer" when you are addressing them personally. Ex: Officer, I have an emergency. Ex: Why are there so many cops near our office today?

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