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.
Antigua and Barbuda Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda ranks and insigniaRankCommissionerDeputy commissionerAssistant commissionerSuperintendentAssistant superintendentInspectorSenior sergeantSergeantCorporalConstableEpaulette insignia
Argentina Argentine Federal Police Officers Argentine Federal Police
Others Argentine Federal Police
Buenos Aires Provincial Police
Insignia Name English Command Commissioner general Commissioner major Commissioner inspector Commissioner Deputy commissioner Chief officer Inspector officer Deputy inspector officer Assistant officer Deputy assistant officer General Major Captain First lieutenant Lieutenant Second lieutenant Sergeant Official
Bermuda Bermuda Police Service ranks and insigniaRankCommissionerDeputy commissionerAssistant commissionerSuperintendentChief inspectorInspectorSergeantConstableEpaulette insignia
Bolivia Officers Bolivia Commandant general Supervisor general Superior general Director general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
Others Bolivia Supervisor warrant officer Warrant officer major Warrant officer 1st class Warrant officer 2nd class Sergeant 1st class Sergeant 2nd class Corporal Graduate policeman
Brazil Brazil has several different police forces, each with its own ranks. At a federal level, there are the Federal Police (, the equivalent to the FBI), the Federal Highway Police (), the Federal Railroad Police () and the Federal Penal Police (). At a state level, there are the Military Police (, ostensive/preventive, a gendarmerie type force unlike the military police of many other countries, the Brazilian equivalent of which is the army police), the Civil Police (, investigative) and the State Penal Police (). At city level, there is the Municipal Guards ().
Civil police The Brazilian Civil Police rank follows, from higher to lower, as: (Commissioner/Delegate) (Clerk) (Agent/Investigator/Inspector/Specialist) (Forensics expert)
Military police The following details the ranks of the military police, which are also used by the National Public Security Force.
The ranks are valid for the state military police agencies (such as the Military Police of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro) and are listed, respectively, from higher to lower ranks:
Commanders Rank Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Brazilian Military Police Governor military cabinet chief (SP) Deputy general commande Chief of Staff Colonel in the role of military court judge Governor military cabinet chief/Interim Governor military cabinet chief
Officers
Student Officers Rank group Junior officer Student officer/Cadets 5th year 4th year 3rd year 2nd year 1st year Brazilian Military Police (APMBB) (APMBB) (APMBB) (APMBB)
Others
Student NCOs Rank group Sargeants candidates Corporal candidates Soldier candidates Brazilian Military PoliceAluno-Sargento
Canada
While some smaller or area specific police forces (ports, docks, tunnels etc.) may use variations on, or fewer of, these ranks, most territorial police forces and special police forces have a standard set of operational ranks based on either of the two systems shown here:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Officers Commissioner Superintendent Inspector
Others Non-commissioned officers Constables Depot
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Commanding officersSenior officersPolice officersOfficers in trainingChief constableDeputy chiefSuperintendentInspectorStaff sergeantSergeantConstableCadet
Sûreté du Québec
Ranks of Sûreté du QuébecGeneral staff officers Officers Sub-officers AgentsDirector general of the SQAssociate directorChief inspectorInspectorCaptainLieutenantSergeantTeam leaderConstableNo insignia
Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal
Rank Group Executive Officers Staff Officers Superior Officers Officers Constables SPVM"Insignes et grades." SPVM. Retrieved 2020-04-04. Director Associate Director Chief Inspector Inspector Commander Lieutenant Sergeant Senior Constable Constable
Chile These are the ranks used by Chilean police services.
Investigations Police of Chile (PDI) officers
Since 2017 this agency has rank insignia.
Carabineros de Chile Officers Abbr. GNRL DIR GNRL INS GNRL CRNL TTE CRNL MAY CAP TTE SUB TTE
Non-commissioned officers and enlisted Warrant officers NCOs Enlisted Students Abbr. SOM SuboF SG1 SG2 CBO1 CBO2 Carab
Colombia
Officers National Police of Colombia General Mayor General Brigadier General Coronel Teniente Coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente Abbreviation GEN MG BG COL LTC MAJ CPT LT SLT Abbreviation in Spanish GN MG BG CR TC MY CT TE ST
Non-commissioned officers and enlisted National Police of Colombia No insignia No insignia
Guatemala DirectorsSenior officers Policía Nacional CivilJerarquia de la Poicía Nacional Civil. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
Junior officersBasic policemen Policía Nacional Civil
Mexico According to the General Law for the National System for Public Security, the federal, state and municipal police forces are mandated to have the same hierarchical organization. In addition, the national guard uses its own rank system.
National guard The national guard was formed by absorbing units and officers from the federal police, military police, and naval police.
Commissioned officers Commissioners general Inspectors Officers
Basic scale ladder
Yucatán State Police High-commandInspectorsOfficersBasic ranks Yucatán State PoliceProfessional Police Career Service Regulations (In Spanish) Secretariat of Public Safety of Yucatán. Published in 2014. Secretary/chief Undersecretary Director 1st inspector 2nd inspector Subinspector 1st officer 2nd officer Subofficer First police Second police Third police Police
Nicaragua Officers National Police of Nicaragua
Others National Police of Nicaragua
Panama
Commissioned officer ranks
Other ranks
Paraguay
Officers Superior officers Chief officers Junior officers Paraguay
Others Chief non-commissioned officers Junior non-commissioned officers Paraguay
Peru
United States
The United States law enforcement ranking model is generally quasi-military in structure. Each level of law enforcement (federal, state, and local) has its own rank structure and insignia, and these vary considerably from agency to agency. There is no nationally set law enforcement rank and insignia structure but they tend to follow similar patterns. Because of that, this is not an exhaustive list. Some departments, particularly small ones, have very few ranks, while large ones have ranks as extensive as United States military rank structures.
Federal The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contain multiple law enforcement agencies and are the largest federal departments responsible for law enforcement; however, other governmental departments and agencies have law enforcement bodies. Each federal law enforcement agency has a unique rank structure. Many federal law enforcement agencies rank structures resemble military rank structure but have different cogitations regarding responsibilities and duties. In general, all law enforcement groups in United States follow a similar pattern: director/chief, assistant/deputy director/chief, special agent in charge, assistant special agent in charge, supervisory special agent, special agent.
Examples of federal police ranks in the United States include:
+ FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION + (the principal federal law enforcement agency of the United States) Rank Director Deputy Director Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Director Deputy Chief of Staff Associate Deputy Director Executive Assistant Director Associate Executive Assistant Director Assistant Director Deputy Assistant Director Special Agent-in-Charge Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Supervisory Special Agent Senior Special Agent Special Agent Agent In Training
+ UNITED STATES COAST GUARD + (the principal law enforcement agency of the United States responsible for maritime security)+ Commissioned officer grade structure of the United States Coast Guard+ US DoD Pay GradeO-10O-9O-8O-7O-6O-5O-4O-3O-2O-1NATO CodeOF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4OF-3OF-2OF-1Insignia Title Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Rear admiral (lower half) Captain Commander Lieutenant commander Lieutenant Lieutenant (junior grade) EnsignAbbreviation ADM VADM RADM RDML CAPT CDR LCDR LT LTJG ENS
+ UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL + (a law enforcement agency responsible for continental security) RankChief of the Border PatrolDeputy Chief of the Border PatrolChief Patrol AgentDeputy Chief Patrol AgentAssistant Chief Patrol AgentPatrol agent in chargeDeputy Patrol Agent in ChargeWatch commanderSpecial Operations SupervisorSupervisory Border Patrol AgentBorder Patrol Agent (sector programs)Border Patrol Agent Insignia No insignia
+ FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL SERVICE + (a law enforcement agency responsible for aviation security) DirectorDeputy DirectorAssistant DirectorDeputy Assistant DirectorSupervisory Air Marshal in Charge Deputy Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Supervisory Federal Air Marshal Senior Federal Air MarshalFederal Air Marshal
State State law enforcement agencies often have a pronounced paramilitary rank structure with rank titles such as: colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, lieutenant, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal, trooper.
Example Alabama Highway Patrol and Alabama Department of Public Safety Rank Director(colonel) Assistant Director(lieutenant colonel) Chief(major) Captain Lieutenant Sergeant Corporal Senior Trooper Trooper Insignia No insignia
County County sheriffs are usually elected, chiefs of county police departments are appointed. In a sheriff's department common ranks are undersheriff, assistant sheriff (large departments), senior deputy sheriff, and deputy sheriff, while in a county police department paramilitary titles may be used, which also are to be found in large sheriff's departments.
Example of a sheriff's department Santa Clara County, California Rank Sheriff Undersheriff Assistant Sheriff Captain Lieutenant Sergeant Deputy Sheriff Insignia No insignia
Example of a county police department Anne Arundel County, Maryland Rank Chief of police Assistant Chief Major Captain Lieutenant Sergeant Corporal Police Officer First Class Police Officer Insignia No insignia
Municipal/city Municipal or city police departments can use paramilitary ranks or more distinct police ranks, or a combination of both. Commissioners or chiefs are normally heading the departments, aided by commanders and inspectors or colonels or majors. Captain, lieutenant and sergeant are standard ranks. Below them are corporals, detectives, police officers.
Example of a city police department Aurora Police Department, Colorado Rank Chief of Police Deputy Chief Division Chief Commander Captain Lieutenant Sergeant Police Agent Police Officer Specialist Police Officer Insignia No insignia
Uruguay National Police of Uruguay
Venezuela Venezuelan National Police Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela
See also List of police ranks List of police ranks in Africa List of police ranks in Asia List of police ranks in Europe