Police ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in police organizations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organization, and affects the culture within the police force. Police ranks, dependent on country, are similar to military ranks in function and design due to policing in many countries developing from military organizations and operations, such as in Western Europe, former Soviet countries, and English-speaking countries. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms.
Rank is not only used to designate leadership, but to establish pay-grade as well. As rank increases, pay-grade follows, but so does the amount of responsibility.
Albania Director Commissioner Albanian Police Chief director Senior director First director Director Chief commissioner Commissioner Sub-commissioner Inspector Cadet
Andorra Superior level Executive level Intermediate level Basic level Police Corps of Andorra
Armenia Officers Police of Armenia Policecolonel general Policelieutenant general Policemajor general Policecolonel Policelieutenant colonel Policemajor Policecaptain Senior policelieutenant Policelieutenant Junior policelieutenant PoliceKursant
Enlisted Police of Armenia No insignia Senior policewarrant officer Police warrant officer Police Starshina Policesenior sergeant Police sergeant Policejunior sergeant Police private Cadet
Austria Commissioners Austrian Federal Police Director general of public security State police director Deputy state police director Department chief of the state police City police captain
Leading officers General officers Senior officers Junior officers Austrian Federal Police Inspector general Deputy inspector general Assistant inspector general Chief superintendent Superintendent Deputy superintendent Assistant superintendent Divisional superintendent Divisional assistant superintendent
Supervising officers and police officers Supervising officers Police officers Austrian Federal Police Senior chief inspector Chief inspector Divisional inspector Sub-divisional inspector Station sergeant Sergeant SergeantNot in line of promotion Senior constable Constable Border guard constable Probationary constable
Belarus Officers Militsiya of the Republic of Belarus Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Senior lieutenant Lieutenant Junior lieutenant Kursant
Other Militsiya of the Republic of Belarus Ста́рший пра́порщикSenior warrant officer Пра́порщикWarrant officer Старшина́Starshina Ста́рший сержа́нтSenior sergeant Сержа́нтSergeant Младший cержа́нтJunior sergeant Ефре́йторYefreytor Рядово́йPrivate
Belgium Group Officer level Middle-level Base-level Federal Police Local police Title First chief commissioner Chief commissioner First commissioner Commissioner Candidate commissioner First chief inspector Chief inspector Candidate chief inspector First inspector Inspector Candidate inspector Group Security-level Auxiliary-level Federal Police Local police N/A Title First security coordinator Security coordinator First security assistant Security assistant Candidate security assistant First security officer Security officer Candidate security officer First (auxiliary) officer (Auxiliary) officer Candidate (auxiliary) officer
Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska Chief inspector Inspector Police of Republika Srpska Chief general inspector of police General inspector of police Chief inspector Independent inspector Senior inspector Inspector Junior inspector
Police officer Police of Republika Srpska Chief police officer Independent police officer Senior police officer Police officer Junior police officer
Bosnia and Herzegovina Rank group Chief of police (with the COA of the canton) Inspector Bosnian police
Rank group Police officer Bosnian police
Bulgaria Officers National Police Service Secretary general Chief commissioner Senior commissioner Commissioner of police Chief inspector Senior inspector Inspector1st grade Inspector2nd grade Inspector3rd grade
Others Policemen National Police Service Chiefpoliceman Policeman1st grade Policeman2nd grade Policeman3rd grade
Croatia
Regular police ranks Insignia Rank title Police director general() Deputy police director general() Police chaplain() Police superintendent general() Assistant director general of police() Police commander() Police senior commissioner() Police commissioner() Chief police inspector() Leading police inspector() Senior police inspector() Police inspector() Police sergeant major() Police staff sergeant() Police sergeant() Leading police officer() Senior police officer() Police officer() Police college cadet() Police basic recruit() Police recruit with secondary school credentials()
Cyprus
Insignia Name English Chief of police Deputy chief of police Assistant chief of police Chief superintendent Superintendent A' Superintendent B' Chief inspector Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant Acting sergeant senior constable Acting sergeant Senior constable Constable Special constable Source:
Czech Republic Officers Czech Republic
Others Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia Officers General officers Senior officers Junior officers Police and Border Guard Board"Politseiametnike teenistusastme tunnused." Politsei- ja Piirivalvetamet. Retrieved 2020-03-22."Politseiametnike teenistusastme tunnused." Kaitsepolitseiameti politseiametniku vormiriietuse ja eraldusmärkide kirjeldus. Retrieved 2020-03-23. Police general() Inspector general of police() Police colonel() Police lieutenant colonel() Police major() Police captain() Police lieutenant() Senior superintendent() Superintendent()
Others Constables Police and Border Guard Board Chief constable, chief inspector(, ) Senior constable, senior inspector(, ) Constable, inspector(, ) Junior constable, junior inspector(, ) Internal Security Service ranks Chief assistant() Senior assistant() Assistant() Junior assistant()
Finland
+Police ranks of Finland Group OfficersInsignia Rank English National police commissioner Deputy national police commissioners,Police chief of Helsinki,Director of the NBI,Director of the Supo Police chief (Regional police departments) Assistant police commissioners (chief), Deputy assistant police commissioners (expert) Deputy police chiefs Chief superintendents,police legal officers Superintendents Chief inspectorsGroupNon-commissioned officersPolicemenInsignia Rank English Police sergeants Senior constables Junior constables
France
National Police of France Director general Prefectoral corps Directors of active service Rank insigniaGrade()() ()Equivalent NATO codeOF-9N/AOF-8 Source:
National Police of France Planning and management corpsRank insigniaGrade()()()()()(Equivalent NATO codeOF-7OF-6OF-5OF-3/4N/A Source:
National Police of France Command corpsRank insigniaGrade()()()()()()()Equivalent NATO codeOF-5OF-4OF-3 OF-2OF-1OF(D) Source:
National Police of France Supervisory and field corpsRank insigniaGrade()()()()()()()Equivalent NATO codeN/AOR-9OR-5N/A Source:
National Police of France AuxiliariesRank insigniaGrade()Equivalent NATO codeN/A Source:
Officers
Non-commissioned offices and volunteer assistant gendarmes
Germany
Higher Police Service Bundespolizei"Zeig' mir deine Schulter!" Bundespolizei. Retrieved 2021-01-25."Bundesbesoldungsgesetz." Bundesministerium der Justiz und Verbraucherschutz. Retrieved 2021-01-25. Präsident des Bundespolizeipräsidiums President of the Federal Police Headquarters Vizepräsident des Bundespolizeipräsidiums Vice president of the Federal Police Headquarters Präsident einer Bundespolizeidirektion der Bundespolizei President of a Federal Police directorate Vizepräsident in einer Bundespolizeidirektion der Bundespolizei Vice Department Chief of a Federal Police directorate Leitender PolizeidirektorSenior chief superintendent Polizeidirektor Chief superintendent Polizeioberrat Senior superintendent Polizeirat Superintendent Polizeireferendar Trainee superintendentNATO code equivalentOF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5aOF-5bOF-4OF-3N/A
Elevated Police Service Bundespolizei Erster PolizeihauptkommissarFirst chief inspector Polizeihauptkommissar Chief inspector Polizeioberkommissar Senior inspector Polizeikommissar Inspector Polizeikommissaranwärter Trainee inspectorNATO code equivalentOF-2OF-1aOF-1bOF (D)
Middle Police Service Bundespolizei Polizeihauptmeister (mit Zulage) Staff sergeant (with extra salary) Polizeihauptmeister Sergeant Polizeiobermeister Senior officer Polizeimeister Officer Polizeimeisteranwärter Trainee officerNATO code equivalentOR-9OR-8OR-7/8OR-6N/A
Police support employees Bundespolizei Unterstützungskraft der Deutschen BundespolizeiBorder support officerFederal support officerLaw enforcement support officerNATO code equivalentOR-5
Greece Officers Hellenic Police Police Lieutenant General Police Major General Police Brigadier General Police Director Police Deputy Director Police Captain I/Police major Police Captain II Police Lieutenant I Police Lieutenant II
NCO and enlisted Hellenic Police No insignia Police Deputy Lieutenant/Warrant officer Police Sergeant (Investigative Duties - With Promotional Exams) Police Sergeant (Investigative Duties) Police Sergeant Police Deputy Sergeant (Investigative Duties) Police Deputy Sergeant Police Constable Ανθυπαστυνόμος Αρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος - Με εξετάσεις) Αρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος) Αρχιφύλακας Υπαρχιφύλακας (Ανακριτικός Υπάλληλος) Υπαρχιφύλακας Αστυφύλακας
Hungary Officers Rendőrség No insignia Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain First lieutenant Second lieutenant
Others Rendőrség Chief warrant officer Master warrant officer Warrant officer Sergeant first class Staff sergeant Sergeant
Iceland
Insignia Title English translation National Police commissioner Police commissioner Deputy National Police commissioner Deputy police commissioner Chief superintendent Superintendent Chief inspector Detective chief inspector Insignia Title English translation Inspector Detective inspector Police constable Police cadet Temporary replacement police constable Temporarily hired constable Source:"Starfsstig innan lögreglunnar." Lögreglan. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Polizia di Stato Police commissionersPolice superintendentsPolice inspectors
Police sergeants Police constables
Carabinieri Officers
Others
Guardia di Finanza Officers Italy Corps commanding general Deputy corps commanding general Corps general Divisional general Brigade general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major First captain Captain Lieutenant Sub-lieutenant Notes: 1 The duty of (corps commanding general) is assigned to a single (corps general). 2 The duty of (deputy corps commanding general) is assigned to a single (corps general).
Non-commissioned officers NATO CodeOR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4epauletteItalian rank nameEnglish rank name translation sub-lieutenant s.o.p.s. marshal adjutant s.o.p.s. chief marshal ordinary marshal marshal chief brigadier brigadier vice-brigadier chosen appointee appointee chosen financier financier
Notes: 1 The duty of a (substitute officer of public security sub-lieutenant) is not a rank but a position (or function) attributed only to NCOs with the rank of (marshal adjutant) with at least 15 years of experience in the rank.
2 The title of or "s.u.p.s." (substitute officer of public security – s.o.p.s.) is not a rank but a position attributed only to NCOs with the rank of .
3 A simple financier does not wear rank insignia
Latvia The rank system of the Latvian State Police is as follows:
Rank group Top level service Higher police service Elevated police service Student Middle police service Simple service
Lithuania