Police ranks of the United States
Encyclopedia
The United States police rank model is generally paramilitary
in structure.
In many departments, officers from Lieutenant up wear a white shirt instead of the blue or brown uniform shirt common to lower-ranked police officers. Senior police officers may wear fretting ("scrambled eggs") on their visors.
Advancement from Officer to Captain is generally by appointment after successful completion of a series of examinations, and after the officer has sufficient time in grade. Grades above Captain are generally by appointment of the chief/sheriff. In addition, there must be vacancies for a higher rank.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
in structure.
Ranks
Although the large and varied number of federal, state, and local police and sheriff's departments have different ranks, a general model, from highest to lowest rank, would be:- Chief of policeChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
/police commissionerPolice commissionerCommissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
/superintendentSuperintendent (police)Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
/sheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
: The title police commissioner is used mainly by large metropolitan departments, while chief of police is associated with small and medium-sized municipalities; both are typically appointed by a mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
or selected by the city council or commissionCity councilA city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. In some cities, "commissioner" is the civilian official or member of the board of officials in charge of the department, while a "chief" is the top uniformed officer answering to the commissioner or commission. In very large departments, such as the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, there may be several deputy and assistant commissioners, all civilian, some of whom outrank the chief of department and others on par with the uniformed chief. There may be a chief of operations who is second in command to the top-ranking chief. In contrast, sheriffs in the United StatesSheriffs in the United StatesIn the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
are usually elected officials, one in each countyCounty (United States)In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
, who head the sheriff's department (or sheriff's office).
- Assistant Chief/Assistant Commissioner/Assistant Superintendent/Assistant Sheriff: Only seen in some departments. In New York City, assistant chiefs head borough commands bureaus.
- Deputy Chief/Deputy Commissioner/Deputy Superintendent/Chief Deputy/undersheriffUndersheriffAn Undersheriff is an office derived from ancient British practice and still extant in, among other places, the United Kingdom and the United States, though somewhat different forms.-United States:...
: The top lieutenant to the chief of police, commissioner, superintendent, or sheriff; may or may not have a specific area of responsibility. In some places the undersheriff is the warden of the county jail. The New York City Sheriff's OfficeNew York City Sheriff's OfficeThe New York City Sheriff's Office is the civil law enforcement division of the New York City Department of Finance. The Sheriff's office is headed by a sheriff, who is appointed to the position by the mayor, unlike most sheriffs in New York State who are elected officials...
has five undersheriffs: each one is responsible for a borough of New York City, with the Sheriff of the City of New York overseeing all of them.
- InspectorInspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
/commanderCommanderCommander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
: Sometime have an insignia of a single star1 star rankAn officer of one-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-6. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...
, analogous to brigadier generalsBrigadier general (United States)A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, but in other areas wear a gold or silver eagle, similar to a colonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. "Inspector" is also used as a term for "detective" in the San Francisco Police DepartmentSan Francisco Police DepartmentThe San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
and Chicago Police DepartmentChicago Police DepartmentThe Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
but is two ranks above captain in New York and in the Philadelphia Police DepartmentPhiladelphia Police DepartmentThe Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. In New York, inspectors command divisions, which may be groups of precincts within a borough or specialized branches of the police service.
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
: A majority of state policeState police (United States)In the United States, state police are a police body unique to each U.S. state, having statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations...
agencies use "colonel" as their senior executive rank, often jointly with a civilian title such as "superintendent," "commissioner" or "director." Conversely, the colonel rank is rarely employed by other agencies, though it is used by the Baltimore Police DepartmentBaltimore Police DepartmentThe Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...
and other Maryland agencies as either an executive or commander-like rank. Colonels generally wear the gold or silver eagle of a colonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, or the oak leaf of a lieutenant colonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
, from the U.S. armed forces.
- MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
/deputy inspector: Sometimes have an insignia of a gold or silver oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaf, similar to a majorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
or lieutenant colonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. In the Baltimore Police DepartmentBaltimore Police DepartmentThe Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...
, New Orleans Police DepartmentNew Orleans Police DepartmentThe New Orleans Police Department has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts....
, and Atlanta Police DepartmentAtlanta Police DepartmentThe Atlanta Police Department is the law enforcement agency of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, the department was formed with 26 officers...
majors supervise police stationPolice stationA police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
s.
- CaptainPolice captain- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
: Two gold or silver bars ("Railroad tracks"). Often supervises a police stationPolice stationA police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
but can supervise another division or unit (detectives, patrol, etc.) in smaller departments and only certain sections of a police station in larger departments. In NYC captains are the normal commanders of precincts.
- LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
: A single gold or silver bar, who supervises two to three or more sergeants. Lieutenants can supervise an entire watch shift of a police station or detective squad (Narcotics, HomicideHomicideHomicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
, etc.) in larger police departments and entire precincts in smaller police departments.
- SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
: Three inverted chevrons, a police officer who supervises an entire watch shift in smaller departments and areas of a precinct and individual detective squads in larger departments.
- DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
/Inspector/Investigator: An investigatory specialist, usually working in plain clothes. This may be in several classes that correspond to higher supervisory and pay grades. In NYC, technically a designation: detectives do not exactly outrank police officers although they are in charge of cases and are often senior in years of service and so have a certain degree of authority beyond police officers in specific situations.
- OfficerPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
/Deputy/CorporalPolice corporalThe rank of police corporal is correlational to the rank of corporal in the armed forces, typically ranking immediately above officer and immediately below sergeant.The position is also referred to by some agencies as Agent.-Function:...
: A regular officer/deputy wears no rank insignia, and there may be several pay grades. Corporals, who may be senior officers or acting watch commanders, wear two inverted chevrons.
In many departments, officers from Lieutenant up wear a white shirt instead of the blue or brown uniform shirt common to lower-ranked police officers. Senior police officers may wear fretting ("scrambled eggs") on their visors.
Advancement from Officer to Captain is generally by appointment after successful completion of a series of examinations, and after the officer has sufficient time in grade. Grades above Captain are generally by appointment of the chief/sheriff. In addition, there must be vacancies for a higher rank.
Federal
- United States Border Patrol
States
Georgia State Police- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Virginia
Cities
- Baltimore
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New OrleansNew Orleans Police DepartmentThe New Orleans Police Department has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts....
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Washington, DC
Counties
- Suffolk County Police, New York
- Suffolk County Sheriff, New York