Chief of police facts for kids
A chief of police is a leader in a police department, especially in North America. This person is usually chosen for the job or sometimes elected. They are in charge of 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 commissioner or chief constable. A police chief works for and answers to the local or state government.
What Does a Police Chief Do?
The exact duties of a police chief can be different depending on the country or even the city. If a police department is very large, some of the jobs might be given to other high-ranking officers. Here are some common things a police chief is responsible for:
- Managing the Department: They oversee how the police department runs every day and how its money is spent.
- Leading Officers:
- They can take action if officers break rules or laws.
- They have the power to promote officers to higher ranks.
- Creating Rules: They help make and update the rules and policies for the police department.
- Working with Government: They connect with the government groups that oversee and pay for the police department.
- Equipment Care: In smaller police departments, the chief might also make sure equipment like police cars, weapons, and uniforms are in good shape.
- On Patrol: In the very smallest police departments, the chief might even do regular police work, like patrolling streets or investigating crimes.
Most police chiefs are sworn police officers. This means they wear a police uniform and have the power to arrest people. However, in larger departments, their work is mostly about managing and planning. It's rare for a police chief to make an arrest, so when it happens, it often gets attention in the news! For example, in 2014, Bernard Hogan-Howe, who was London's police commissioner, chased and arrested people who didn't pay their train fare. In 2017, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck arrested a police officer for serious wrongdoing.
Police Chiefs Around the World
Police chiefs have different names and roles in various countries.
Canada's Police Leaders
In Canada, Chief of Police is the most common title for the top officer in a police service. Some exceptions include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who have a commissioner) and the Vancouver Police Department (who have a chief constable).
In Ontario, a chief of police must be a sworn police officer. This means they have completed special training at the Ontario Police College. The person chosen for the job is picked by a police services board.
Deputy Chiefs in Canada
The Deputy Chief of Police is usually the second-in-command, right below the chief. They might be called Deputy Chief, Deputy Chief Constable, or Deputy Commissioner. They often have specific responsibilities within the police service.
Germany's State Police Chiefs
In Germany, each state has its own police department. Because of this, every State Police Department has its own Chief of Police, and their titles can be different from state to state.
India's Police Leaders
Like Germany, India's police forces are organized at the state level. Each State Police Department has a Chief of Police, and their titles 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.
The leaders of city police forces in India are called Commissioner of Police (CP).
Indonesia's National Police Chief
In Indonesia, the chief of the National Police of Indonesia is often called "Kapolri." This is a short way of saying "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 after the country's House of Representatives approves the choice. The Kapolri is directly responsible to the president. Since Indonesia has one "national police" system, the Kapolri has a lot of power over policing across the whole country. This police chief often works closely with the Commander of the National Armed Forces.
All other police chiefs in Indonesia, whether at the district, city, or provincial level, report to the Kapolri.
Philippines Police Chiefs
In the Philippines, the chief of police used to be the head of police in smaller cities and towns.
United Kingdom's Police Leaders
In the United Kingdom, the top police officer for most police forces is called a chief constable. However, for the Metropolitan Police Service (London's main police force) and the City of London Police, the top officer is called a commissioner. The general term for these top leaders is "chief police officer".
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 is run and how its money is spent, but they are not police officers themselves.
United States Police Chiefs
Chief of police is the most common title for the head of a city's police department in the United States. In very large cities, some departments are 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 the commissioner is the overall head of the department. For example, in the New York City Police Department, the commissioner is the head.
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 major city might lead thousands of police officers and many other employees, like dispatchers and secretaries. Other titles for police leaders in the U.S. include police commissioner, colonel, or police superintendent.
Police Chiefs vs. Sheriffs
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 people, and they are in charge of a county. Police chiefs, however, are usually appointed by the local government and manage law enforcement in a city or town.
Many state laws say that every county must have a sheriff. Sometimes, when a city and county combine, decisions need to be made about who has what power. Often, the police chief handles law enforcement in the city, while the sheriff and their deputies are in charge of jails and delivering court papers. In some places, like the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the sheriff also serves as the chief of police, being the main law enforcement officer for the whole county.
Police Chief Ranks
The rank symbols for a chief in a large or medium-sized department often look like three or four gold stars, similar to a general in the army. Smaller departments might use silver or gold eagles. Some very small police departments might have chiefs who wear no rank symbols at all, or just a pin that says "CHIEF."
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is a group that many police chiefs belong to. In the U.S., police officers, including small-town police chiefs, are increasingly required to have certain levels of professional training.
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
