Why Is It Called a Posse?

"Posse" started out as a technical term in law, part of the term "posse comitatus," which in Medieval Latin meant "power or authority of the county." As such, it referred to a group of citizens summoned by a sheriff to preserve the public peace as allowed for by law.

What does Posse mean?

Slang. a group of friends or associates: hanging out with your posse; a posse of drug dealers.

Do posses still exist?

The posse comitatus power continues to exist in those common law states that have not expressly repealed it by statute. ... In a number of states, especially in the Western United States, sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies have called their civilian auxiliary groups "posses".