Chief of police facts for kids

A chief of police is the main leader of a police department, especially in places like North America. This person is usually chosen or elected to lead the police force in a city or town. You might also hear them called a police chief or just a chief. In some other countries, they might have different titles, like a police commissioner or a chief constable. A police chief works for and answers to the local or state government.

What a Chief of Police Does

The job of a chief of police can be a bit different depending on the country or even the size of the police department. In bigger departments, some tasks are given to other officers. But generally, a chief of police has these important jobs:

• They watch over how the police department works and how its money is spent.
• They are in charge of all the police officers.
  • They can take action if an officer breaks rules or laws.
  • They have the power to promote officers to higher ranks.
• They create and update the rules and guidelines for the police department.
• They work closely with the government that oversees and pays for the department.
• In smaller police departments, the chief might also make sure equipment like police cars, weapons, and uniforms are in good shape.
• In the very smallest departments, the chief might even do regular police work, like patrolling or investigating crimes.

Most police chiefs are sworn police officers. This means they wear a uniform and can make arrests. However, in most departments, their main work is managing the department, not patrolling the streets.

Chiefs of Police Around the World

Canada

Eric Girth, a deputy chief in Hamilton, saluting in 2012.

In Canada, the most common title for the top police officer is Chief of Police. However, there are some exceptions. For example, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is led by a commissioner. The Ontario Provincial Police also has a commissioner. Other forces might use "chief officer" or "chief constable."

In Ontario, a chief of police must be a trained police officer. They usually complete training at the Ontario Police College. This rule is part of the law in Ontario. The chief is chosen by a special board called a police services board.

Deputy Chief

The Deputy Chief of Police is the rank right below the chief. They are like the second-in-command. They might be called deputy chief, deputy chief constable, or deputy commissioner. They often have specific responsibilities within the police service.

Germany

In Germany, each state has its own police department. Because of this, every State Police Department has its own Chief of Police. The titles for these chiefs can be different from one state to another. Here are some examples:

India

In India, police forces are organized by state. Each State Police Department has its own Chief of Police. Their titles can vary. For example, the Chief of Kerala Police is called the "State Police Chief."

Many Indian state police departments have more than one officer with the rank of Director General. One of these officers is chosen to be the Director General of Police. Other common titles include Director General of Police or Director General and Inspector General of Police.

For city police forces, the chief is often called the Commissioner of Police (CP).

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the head of the Indonesian National Police is often called "Kapolri." This is short for "Kepala Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia," which means "Head of the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia." The Kapolri is a very high-ranking officer.

The President of Indonesia chooses the Kapolri, and the choice must be approved by the House of Representatives. The Kapolri reports directly to the president. Since Indonesia has one national police force, the Kapolri is responsible for policing all across the country. The police chief often works closely with the leader of the military. All local police chiefs in Indonesia, from small districts to large provinces, report to the Kapolri.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the chief of police used to be the leader of police in smaller cities and towns.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the main police officer for most police forces is called a chief constable. There are 43 local police forces and three special police forces that use this title. The two exceptions are the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police. Their top officer is called a commissioner. Both chief constables and commissioners are known as "chief police officers."

It's important not to confuse the rank of commissioner (a police officer) with police and crime commissioners. Police and crime commissioners are elected officials. They oversee how a police force works and how its money is spent, but they are not police officers themselves.

United States

Edward Deveau, chief of the Watertown Police Department in Massachusetts, signing a flag aboard the USS Constitution in 2013.

"Chief of police" is the most common title for the head of a city's police department in the United States. In some large cities, the department might be led by someone who is not a sworn officer, often called a commissioner. In these cases, the police chief is the highest-ranking police officer, but not the overall head of the department. For example, the New York City Police Department is led by a commissioner.

The resources a police chief has can vary a lot. A chief in a small town might be the only paid police employee, with volunteers helping out sometimes. On the other hand, a chief in a big city like New York might lead thousands of officers and many other employees. Other titles for police chiefs can include police commissioner, colonel, police superintendent, or police director.

A sheriff is the chief of a county law enforcement agency. While sheriffs are usually not called police chiefs, their agencies often do similar police work. The main difference is that sheriffs are usually elected by the public (except in a few states) and are in charge of a county. Police chiefs are appointed by the local government and manage law enforcement in a city or town.

Many state laws require every county to have a sheriff. Sometimes, when a city and county combine, decisions are made about how to share power between the county sheriff and the city chief of police. Often, the police chief handles law enforcement in the city, while the sheriff manages jails and serves legal papers. In some cases, the sheriff might also serve as the chief of police for the county. Other titles for leaders of Sheriff's Departments include colonel, superintendent, and director.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is an organization that many police chiefs belong to.

Police chiefs in the U.S. are increasingly required to have at least a basic level of professional training.

The rank badges for a chief in a large or medium-sized department often have three or four gold stars, similar to a general in the army. Smaller departments might use silver or gold eagles, like a colonel. Some very small departments might have no rank badge at all, or just a pin that says "CHIEF."

Gallery

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  Pensacola, Florida, town marshal, Stephen Mallory 1832

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  San Diego, California, sheriff and city marshal, Agoston Haraszthy 1850

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  Brooklyn, NY, police chief John S. Folk 1851–1865

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  NYPD Police Chief John Alexander Kennedy 1860–1863

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  Abilene Kansas town marshal Thomas J Smith 1870

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  Ft Worth, Texas, city marshal, Jim Courtright 1876–1879
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  Atlanta, GA, police chief, George T. Anderson 1877–1881 [Later police chief Anniston, Alabama]

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  Washington DC Police Chief William McEntyre Dye 1878

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  Dodge City, Kansas, town marshal, Ed Masterson 1878–1879

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  Trinadad, Colorado, town marshal, Bat Masterson 1880–1882

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  Deer Lodge Montana Town Marshal John Jeremiah Garrison Johnston

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  Tombstone, Arizona, town marshal, Fred White 1880

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  Tombstone, Arizona, town marshall, Virgil Earp 1881–1882

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  El Paso, Texas, city marshal, Dallas Stoudenmire 1881–1882
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  Austin City marshal, Ben Thompson a predecessor to the Austin Police Department 1881-1882
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  New Orleans superintendent/chief of police David Hennessy 1889–1890
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  NYPD commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt 1894–1895

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  NYPD superintendent/chief of police, William S. Devery 1898–1902
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  Chicago police chief, James O'Neill 1901–1905
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  Lawton Oklahoma police chief Heck Thomas 1902

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  CW Wappenstein, chief of the police department, Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, Seattle, 1909

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  Oklahoma City police chief, Bill Tilghman 1911–1912
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  John T. Janssen, Milwaukee Chief of Police (1912)

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  Washington D.C. police chief, Pelham D. Glassford 1931–1932
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  LAPD Police Chief William A Worton 1949–1950

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  Dallas Texas Police Chief Jesse E Curry (1963)

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  Philadelphia police commissioner, Frank Rizzo 1972
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  LAPD Police Chief Daryl Gates 1978–1992

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  LAPD Police Chief Bernard C. Parks 1997–2003

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  San Francisco police chief, Fred Lau, 1996–2002

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  Boston Police Commissioner, William Gross, 2018–2021

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  Washington D.C. police chief, Cathy Lanier 2007–2016

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  Robert Luna as Long Beach Police Chief in 2016.

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  Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw 2020–2023

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  Yogananda D. Pittman Acting Police Chief of US Capital Police 2021

See also

• Deputy prime minister
• Deputy governor
• Deputy president
• Prime minister
• Governor
• President
• Chief justice
• Police
• Highway patrol
• Law enforcement
• Law enforcement agency
• Fire chief
• Constable