What is Police Power?

 
A state and local jurisdiction’s authority for enacting local land use regulations, applying them to real property within a jurisdiction, and enforcing them against property owners' rests in the police power. As such, the states and local jurisdictions may adopt and enforce land use ordinances and regulations that further the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community. (Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., 272 U.S. 365, 387 (1926); Freeman v. Board of Adjustment, 97 Mont. 342, 352 (1934)).  “The concept of the public welfare is broad and inclusive… the values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic as well as monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well balanced as well as carefully patrolled” (Berman v. Parker, 348 U.S. 26, 32-33 (1954)).