17 Spiritual Meanings When You Dream About Police

Did you know your brain takes a bath while you sleep? But apart from this practical cleansing, dreams also help you clear out your thoughts and process your experiences from that day. But on a deeper level, dreams can be messages from your spiritual guides. So what does it mean when you dream about the police? Let’s look into a few possible interpretations.

Seeing police in dream spiritual meanings

1. You Need Protection and Safety

The first thing to consider is waking context. Did something happen during the day that made you think of the police? Did you watch a cop-related show or a news event about a robbery? Were you or someone you love involved in a crime? This could affect your dreams. But if you didn’t see any police officers during the day, your dream may be more spiritual.

Next, consider what the police mean to you. Do you trust them or are you afraid of them? If you have cops in your family and you believe that #BlueLivesMatter, then your dream could mean you need the kind of comfort and protection that comes from the police. A bad thing is likely to happen soon, and you need to make yourself secure, both physically and spiritually.

2. Someone is Trying to Steal Your Ideas

Unfortunately, some communities have negative perceptions or interactions with the police. If you’ve had a bad run with a cop in the past, or if they’ve been heavy-handed with someone you know, then your police dream has an entirely different meaning. It’s still a warning that some negative event is headed your way, but the dream is warning you that you’re exposed.

While a positive police dream means you should ask for help from someone in authority, the opposite might apply here. It might mean someone in power is thinking of you or looking for you, and they mean you harm. So you need to conceal yourself, lie low, and be discrete in your actions. Maybe someone is copying your project so you need to change your passwords.

3. Your Bosses Are Making You Unhappy at Work

The police are a symbol of authority. They have the power to protect you from bad people. They also have permission to lock you up if you break the law. So police dreams depend a lot on how you feel about the people that are in charge of you. Do you rebel against superiors or do you prefer to get friendly with them and stay on their good side? This influences dreams.

Suppose you get home after a tough day at work and when you fall asleep, you get a police dream. In this case, the police probably represent your immediate boss, so think about your feelings during the dream. It might be a reaction to the boss yelling at you, or maybe they took credit for your idea so you feel unsafe. It could be worth brushing up your resumé…

4. You’re Getting Advice About Your Career Path

Police dreams aren’t always negative though. Suppose you’re thinking of a career change. Or maybe you’re fresh out of school and deciding what to do with your life. Then suddenly, you dream about a bank robbery. In this case, context is really important, because it might mean you could start training to be a cop, a bank guard, a bank cashier … or a professional burglar!

As soon as you wake up, write down anything you can remember about the dream, or even send yourself a voice note. What did you see? Were you looking through the eyes of the cop, the guard, the cashier, or a customer? Were you scared or excited? Did you freeze or get a rush of adrenaline? Maybe you’re even being called to become a cop show-runner on Netflix!

5. You Need to Check in With Your Family

In many families, you end up getting the same job as your parents or older siblings. So lots of cop families have a line going back two or three generations. This means your dream about the police might be something more personal, so you’ll need to take a closer look at the context. Was the dream in a specific police station or in the squad car of someone you know?

Were you looking through a cop’s eyes as they approach a house, or were you looking out the window watching the police approach? Were you scared, reassured, or neutral? This could be your spirit guide’s way of showing you something that’s happening to one of the cops you’re related to. It might be worth glancing at the family group chat to see if your officer is okay.

6. You’re Struggling to Mark Your Boundaries

The role of the police is to protect and serve. Their uniform is a mark of authority, and once they put on that hat, badge, and weapon, you have to do what they say. When something bad happens or when an important event is happening, the police set up a perimeter to keep unwanted people out. And in the psychological space, boundaries are an essential part of life.

So if you’re dreaming about police, it may mean you need to set boundaries with the people in your life. You need some yellow tape to show them the areas they should keep their noses out of. Setting boundaries is tough, especially if you’re a soft person that defers to authority and avoids conflict. So dreaming about a cop might mean you need to assert yourself more.

7. You’re Feeling Policed in Your Waking Life

When you’re trying to understand a dream about the police, three things are crucial. One, your personal views about the police. Two, your feelings in the dream. Three, your position in the dream. Were you the cop, the victim, the criminal, or an observer? And how did you feel about the events unfolding in your dream? Were those feelings positive or negative?

Now consider the police officer in your dream is symbolic. If you’re typically trusting of the police force, the dream might mean you feel safe at your new job, within your friend circle, or in your newest relationship. But if cops scare you, or if authority intimidates you, you might subconsciously be feeling trapped, bullied, attacked, or oppressed by the people close to you.

8. You’re Feeling Watched, Repressed, or Censored

To explain that previous point more clearly, a lot of us had police dreams while working from home. Many companies had built-in software to monitor remote workers, and it left them feeling surveilled and policed. Lots of them ended up quitting under these conditions. So if you’re having lots of cop dreams, maybe you feel like your partner keeps spying on you.

Depending on how you felt during the dream, this could be a warning that you’re in a controlling relationship and you should consider getting out. Or it might mean you’re doing something dishonest (like cheating, or at least flirting inappropriately) so you’re feeling antsy about getting caught. Either way, it’s a lack of trust and safety you should probably address.

9. You Need to Tweak Your Leadership Decisions

People react to the police based on two things – the cop’s response and the person’s previous interactions with cops. So let’s talk about dreams where you – the dreamer – are the police officer. How were people treating you in the dream? Were they afraid, or actively running away? Did they accept your authority and submit to your instructions? Did they fight back?

This dream is likely a heavenly hint about your leadership style. And this isn’t just for managers. You could be a camp counselor, a parent, a demanding spouse, or even a team captain. Your angels want you to see how you interact with your subordinates, and how they respond to you. There might be something in your thinking or approach you need to soften.

10. You’re Being Too Permissive With Your Children

At the other end of the spectrum, you may need to toughen your leadership role. This dream happens a lot when you’re raising children. Especially around their terrible twos, teens, and college vacations. These are all times when your kids act up and you can feel overwhelmed. But a cop dream here might mean you should be tougher, not gentler. Assert parental roles.

These are stages where your kids feel ‘grown-up’ and rather than battling them constantly, you may just give in. Dreaming about being a cop is your guardian angel’s way of reminding you these kids need structure. You may need a few more house rules and guidelines about what is and isn’t okay. Otherwise, your kids may fight the authorities out there and get hurt.

11. You’re Feeling Accused – Fairly or Unjustly

Suppose you dream about being arrested. This is an extreme dream, and context becomes crucial. Think about your feelings during the arrest and try to describe them. The two most common feelings are fear and defiance. And yes, you might feel both. If you were terrified of the arresting officers, it may mean you’ve (secretly) done something bad in your waking life.

You’re terrified of being caught, so it’s a good idea to make amends. Fix it if you can, say sorry, and repair the damage. But if you were furious with the cops, kicking, screaming, or proclaiming innocence, it probably means someone in authority is accusing you falsely or treating you unfairly. That anger is your subconscious recognition of mistreatment. Fight!

12. You’re Engaging in Emotional Avoidance

Did you wake up sweating and panting after a dream that you were being chased by the police? You may have tangled your sheets or thrown your pillows off your bed while you ran in your sleep. If you’ve been arrested in the past – justly or unjustly – this is a common dream. You might also get it if you regularly watch true crime or copaganda shows. But what if you don’t?

If imaginary cops are running after you while you sleep, it may mean you’re trying to escape from an important issue during the day. It may be a contentious argument with a loved one that you’re putting off. Or a decision you’re dodging. Or a conversation you’re avoiding. Your heavenly helpers are making you aware of a hidden dilemma. Deal with it before it blows up!

13. It Could Be a Direct Message from a Deceased Officer

At other times, especially if you have cops in your family, a dream about the police could be a more direct message from the other side. Suppose your loved one has passed away. It could be a recent death or an ancient one from childhood. So maybe you dream about visiting their precinct or seeing it written somewhere like on a bus, form, or an emergency message board.

This may cause you to wake up and visit the precinct the next day. Or to check on someone that used to work with your loved one. And the dream could be that simple! For whatever reason, your beloved wanted you to pass by their office or visit their old workmates. Once you get there, you’ll find out why your loved one sent you there. An opportunity is waiting!

If you are willing to visit your loved one’s precinct based on instructions from them to visit old colleagues with your loved one, bring some gifts for these old colleagues to show appreciation and gratitude for their heroic behavior and conscientious work as police officers, and also to show appreciation for their past concern for your loved one as old colleagues. 

Custom coins seem to be a good choice for police officers to choose some custom coins with police elements as gifts for these old colleagues. Such custom coins are often seen as a symbol of honor and have a deep commemorative meaning that will surely be loved by these officers.After meeting with your loved one’s old colleagues, I am sure you will be able to truly understand the meaning of your dream.

14. You Need to Be More Watchful

Here’s a different kind of police dream you might have. It’s a common scene on cop shows, so it could be the result of falling asleep to Brooklyn 99. But it could also be a message from your angels. This is a dream where you’re inside a cop car looking out at the streets. You might be a cop on patrol, or you might be a perp locked and cuffed in the back of a squad car.

In both cases, the meaning is the same. It’s about being alert, watchful, and aware of your surroundings. Someone is trying to get you, and you need to be more observant to spot your potential saboteur. How did you feel during the dream? Fear is a possibility whether you’re the cop or the criminal. Figure out whether your terror comes from guilt or self-preservation.

15. You Need to Curate Your Circle of Intimates

Some people live in fear of the police. In certain neighborhoods, it’s not unusual to go report something to the cops and end up being arrested yourself. And that distrust runs deep. So if you dream of asking the police for help and they refuse, that nightmare can be jarring. Especially if you know you’d never voluntarily deal with cops in your waking life.

So what does this unrealistic dream mean? It’s probably a warning from your spirit guides. They can see the people in your life that you trust and admire, the ones you look up to and listen to. The ‘good cops’ in your space. The dream could be a warning that these people aren’t as sincere as you think. Trouble is coming and they won’t help you, so be prepared!

16. You’re in Danger of Regression

When the police come for you, the assumption is you’ve done something wrong. Your family, the community, and even your close friends may start to doubt you because of the arrest. Even if you got jailed for something positive like activism, it leaves a mark on your record. So why would your angels send you a dream about being captured by cops? It’s a loud warning.

Once you wake up, look around for clues. Chances are you’re about to do something that could get you in trouble. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re planning a heist. You’re falling back on old habits that have harmed you in the past. Maybe you’re going to an event where smoking is allowed and you quit years ago. Or reconnecting with your toxic ex. Don’t do it!

17. Your Leadership Flaws are Showing

Some people enjoy positions of authority. They’re born bosses and love being in charge. But more often, you get the reluctant leader. You might be the rock band lead who took the mic because nobody else wanted to, and now your drummers and guitarists resent you because nobody knows their names. Or you may be the accidental VP-turned-CEO during a crisis.

Because you didn’t want the title in the first place, and because you prefer to be in the background, you worry that you’re too soft. So you overcompensate to a point of discomfort. Your dream may be warning you this isn’t your natural disposition and it’s doing a lot of damage. You need to find an authentic way to lead without crushing your team … or yourself.

When was the last time you had a police dream? Tell us about it in the comments section!