What ranks are there in the police force

A police officer is the most common kind of sworn officer in any given metropolitan department. They can perform a variety of roles including patrolling the streets, responding to the scene of a crime or accident, and participating in community awareness efforts. There are several different police pay grades that LEOs may qualify for after reaching certain milestones.

Newer officers usually receive a pay bump after they successfully complete their probationary period, which may last between one to four years. A new police officer beginning their probationary period will start at the lowest police rank. However, they have the opportunity to specialize in areas like field training, or media coordinators. After racking up some experience, police officers may also join more specialized units such as a SWAT team , a canine unit, or bomb squad.

Officers may be promoted to corporal status, which allows may include duties like detective work, field training and watch commander. Police detectives are usually assigned to a specialized division — such as narcotics, gang activity, or robbery — and investigate a specific kind of crime.

In some departments, like the LAPD , detectives are the only sworn-in officers that wear business attire or street clothes instead of their issued uniform. They can use their disguised appearance to blend into crowds and prevent crimes before they happen.

A higher ranking detective might review reports prepared by subordinates, and assume a leadership role in high-profile homicides or robberies. In addition to supervisory responsibilities, corporals still patrol and investigate.

They may take over the duties of police sergeant in case of absence. Sergeants supervise and train their subordinates. They may also coordinate activity at crime scenes, making sure department policies and procedures are applied to law enforcement activities. Sergeants frequently assume roles like professional standards investigator to ensure that personnel and equipment are maintained to department standards.

Since they act as a liaison between upper management and subordinates, the role of police sergeant requires strong interpersonal leadership ability. Police lieutenant roles are usually administrative in nature. The following police officer ranks best align with a hierarchy commonly found in municipal police organizations:. This entry-level position involves assisting sworn personnel in follow-up investigations of assigned cases, enforcing parking laws and issuing citations, directing traffic at accident and crime scenes, and a myriad of other tasks that support police departments.

These professionals also prepare paperwork for incident reports, provide general citizen assistance, and keep records organized and up to date. Most police technicians need a high school diploma or equivalent.

No experience is typically necessary. While police officers, patrol officers and police detectives may have differing job descriptions depending on who employs them, these law enforcement officers often respond to emergency and non-emergency calls, patrol assigned areas, obtain warrants, arrest suspects, and testify in court, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS.

Most officers and detectives need to complete a training academy in their area. The title of corporal is a common next step on the hierarchy of a law enforcement career.

Police corporals often act as supervisors and watch commanders in small agencies, but the title can also apply to nonsupervisory members of a specialty unit. This position is typically the first in a supervisory role, placing officers in some measure of authority over other officers. Officers who become leaders and differentiate themselves on the job might be promoted to corporal as an official way to acknowledge their leadership on the force. Some agencies skip certain rankings and assign those tasks to other positions.

But in general, a sergeant is typically expected to interpret and apply ordinances to a wide variety of situations, supervise and train personnel, weigh in on disciplinary situations, help develop new policies, and act as a liaison between upper management and subordinates. Sergeant responsibilities are often a step up from the general supervision tasks of a corporal as they also investigate internal complaints and envision ways to improve their department.

These positions require law enforcement experience. Expect to serve about five years of employment as a minimum in your police department and to be required to pass an examination before you become eligible for this promotion. The work of a police lieutenant is sort of like a middle-management role for law enforcement.

They take broad direction from superiors and turn them into a plan of action for sergeants all the way to the frontline officers and detectives. In this role, lieutenants may select and assign staff, ensuring equal employment opportunity in hiring and promotion, and set the work schedule and priority tasks for employees.

They evaluate officers and other staff in performance reviews and identify development and training needs for the department. On top of these precinct duties, police lieutenants work with other law enforcement agencies in the area and also act as ambassadors of the police department in civic meetings, schools and other community efforts. Promotion to this rank will likely involve acquiring many years of experience, passing an examination, and demonstrable skills in leadership and public relations.

Yet another step up, police captains report directly to police chiefs—or in the case of large departments, deputy police chiefs, as they manage and direct activities of the department. Captains train personnel, prepare and monitor programs and budgets, and enforce department policies.

Constables wear epaulette attached to the uniform, displaying their collar number also called a shoulder number. Within Greater London's Metropolitan Police, all constables and sergeants display a divisional call sign, as well as an individual number. Within British police, Sergeant is the first of the supervisory ranks. It is senior to that of Constable but junior to that of Inspector.

Within the British police, inspector is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. The rank is mostly operational, meaning that inspectors are directly concerned with day-to-day policing. Uniformed inspectors are often responsible for supervising a duty shift made up of constables and sergeants, or act in specialist roles such as supervising road traffic policing.

The rank of inspector has existed since the foundation of the Metropolitan Police, formed in , when it was used to designate the rank immediately below that of superintendent, and many Commonwealth police forces also use the term. Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix "detective" identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department CID.

The epaulettes of uniformed inspectors, unlike those of constables and sergeants, do not show a divisional or personal identification number. Instead they feature Order of the Bath stars, informally known as "pips", being the same insignia as those of a lieutenant in the British Army. In the Metropolitan Police, the rank was formerly officially known as Station Inspector to distinguish it from the more senior rank of Sub-Divisional Inspector abolished in A Station Inspector wore a single star on his epaulettes until , when this changed to a star over two bars to accommodate the new rank of Junior Station Inspector wearing a star over one bar.

In the British police, a chief inspector is senior to an inspector and junior to a superintendent. Today, the function of chief inspectors varies from force to force. These law enforcement officers often patrol assigned locations, respond to emergency and non-emergency situations, investigate crimes and apprehend suspects. These positions make up the bulk of the police force, and the people in them are the backbone of the organization. Most detectives go through a training academy in their area before they can start to work.

Distinguished police officers that show promise are given this position to test and acknowledge their leadership skills. Often, corporals oversee small units and watch commanders in the department. This position is typically the first supervisory role in the agency and can also apply to non-supervisory members of a specialty unit. Smaller agencies skip this rank and assign responsibilities to other roles. In larger agencies, their role is to supervise and train their team, help form new policies, and act as a coordinator between upper management and police officers.

Moving to the sergeant position usually requires a minimum of five years of experience, as well as a vision for the future of the department. Police lieutenant roughly translates to middle-managers; these positions require taking a broad vision from superiors and turning it into actionable directives at the individual level.

The responsibilities include ensuring equal opportunity in hiring and promotions, assigning staff, and determining priorities for the department. They take part in performance evaluations and determine the hiring and training needs of the department.