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All law enforcement organizations have a chain of command with levels of authority that resemble military ranks. The specific titles and duties can vary from one police department to another, but in general, the rankings follow this order, from uniformed officer to highest in command: Uniformed Officer. Detective. Sergeant.
- Police sergeant. 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.
- Police lieutenant. Police lieutenant roles are usually administrative in nature. They attend meetings and serve on various committees related to their unit of command.
- Police captain. Police captains manage specific divisions within the department, like vice or homicide. They direct work and evaluate their team’s performance through written reports.
- Deputy chief. Next is the deputy chief, who may serve as the bureau commander for activities such as patrol, investigations, or support. In larger metropolitan areas such as New York City, the deputy chief may be assisted by assistant chiefs.
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Grades above captain are generally by appointment of the chief or sheriff. In addition, there must be vacancies for a higher rank. In police departments, the second-highest rank is usually similar to a chief of staff. In a sheriff's office, the second-highest ranking person is often responsible for most operations, similar to a chief of police ...
- Police technician. 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.
- Police officer/patrol officer/police detective. This “rank” is the most well-known. 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 nonemergency calls, patrol assigned areas, obtain warrants, arrest suspects and testify in court, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- Police corporal. 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.
- Police sergeant. A police sergeant’s job duties depend on the size of their employing agency. Some agencies skip certain rankings and assign those tasks to other positions.
- Police Officer. A police officer is typically the lowest ranking officer, and also the most common type of law enforcement officer. By some estimates, there are around 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S. A police officer’s duties will vary, but daily duties largely consist of activities such as enforcing laws, patrolling for active crimes or traffic violations, and responding in the event of emergencies.
- Police Detective. Detectives gather facts, document and collect evidence, and interview witnesses of crimes. Depending on the size of a police department, a detective might be assigned to a specific division that focuses on one particular type of crime, such as sex crimes, homicide, or cybercrime detectives.
- Police Corporal. In most police departments, a corporal’s role is a hybrid between an officer and a detective, with additional responsibilities as well.
- Police Sergeant. Police sergeants are usually the highest ranking officer prior to entering a role that’s primarily administrative in function. Sergeants are responsible for things such as training lower ranking officers, assessing and ensuring professional standards are being maintained and adhered to, and even developing department policies.
Like the military, the police department rank structure is designed for supervisory; management and command functions. In the military, the ranks of corporal through the ascending sergeant ranks are supervisory positions. Second and first lieutenants and captains are company grade ranks, and they can be compared to police management.
Police ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in police organizations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organization, ...
