The + noun is a kind of person. Is the predicate singular or plural?
One group, more than one, in the plural
Is the police singular or plural
Police refers to a specific person in the police
When referring to the police as a whole, it is singular
The police are searching for the suspect
If you want to refer to a single policeman in particular, use policeman, whose plural is policemen
Is the definite article the singular or plural
In the plural