Public use aircraft - pilot certificate  

Per the thread below it is correct to say that public use aircraft meaning like a police department are not required to have pilot certificates and medicals to fly their aircraft.   The caveat is that public use aircraft do not have airworthiness certificates but they do have registrations.  

Most police departments take it up on themselves to get pilot certificates but it's not required. I remember at one time when the entire Maryland State police and New Jersey state police department didn't have a pilot certificate in the entire group and they had one of the worst safety records in the country but the safety record was not related to having or not having a certificate.    

It's no different than all the military pilots buzzing around the country in the national airspace with no pilot certificate.  

The big caveat is if you are operating public use and or military when you're in the NAS you must follow the FAA rules and regulations or contrary to belief or what you might think you can be violated it's just a different chain of command and path to receive the violation but it can still be quite severe.