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Police
Rank
Structure
Rank
Structure
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For those of you who've served in the military, you're throughly
familiar with rank structure, and the general responsibilities and duties
associated with various ranks. Police departments have always followed
the military rank structure for one very simple reason...it's the most
efficient structure for an organization where discipline and the clear
delineation of responsibilities is essential.
...the idea that American police departments are paramilitary is
nonsense.
American police departments are not paramilitary organizations.
Simply because of the military rank structure, or specialized units
within police departments such as SWAT teams that use refined
military tactics in resolving high risk life threatening situations, some
people, even supposedly intelligent ones, like to throw around the
paramilitary label for self serving purposes. When you become a police
officer, you'll run into to those who think the military appearance of
uniforms and rank insignias present an image which is too harsh and
authoritarian. Some of these people even find their way into leadership
positions in police departments where they waste everybody's time with
their social experiments. In the end, the uniforms and insignias survive
because that's what works best.
Paramilitary - a - 1. designating, of, or having to do with forces working
alongside of or in place of a regular military organization, usually as a
semi-official, often secret, auxiliary.
2. Designating or of a private, often secret, quasi-military organization.
(Webster's Dictionary)
In countries that have a single national police force that may well be
controlled by that country's military, paramilitary organizations can
survive within the police structure. In the United States, where over
40,000 police departments exist under the supervision of state and local
governments, the idea that American police departments are
paramilitary is nonsense.
Sworn and Civilian Personnel
Every police organization is comprised of sworn and civilian personnel.
All those individuals who are sworn have police powers while the
civilians do not. In the higher management levels of police departments
there are positions which may be held by either a sworn individual or a
civilian. For instance, the management of your department's Public
Information Office might well be led by a civilian who has background
experience with news organizations.
Let's say your department has several high level positions held by
civilians. Their positions will be designated by a rank such as Director.
The director rank will probably be associated with a sworn rank for pay
grade purposes only. In this example we'll associate the sworn rank of
major with director. The civilian director will have the same command
authority as a major over those people, sworn and civilian, who work
under the limited scope of the director. However, outside the civilian
director's area of expertise, that same command authority does not
extend.
Let's say you're on the street handling a robbery incident. The Director
of Public Information, who is a civilian, is on the scene. The Director
orders you to participate in an interview with a television news crew.
This probably wouldn't happen, but if it did, what would you do?
Remember, you don't work in the public information office. If you say
you'd refuse the Director's order, you'd be insubordinate. The
Director's order is not unlawful, and the order is certainly within the
scope of the Director's expertise.
This time, the Director orders you to pick up shell casings, from shots
fired during the robbery, from the street so they won't get lost. You've
already marked the locations of the casings, and you're waiting for the
crime lab to photograph the scene and collect the casings. Do you follow
the Director's order? This should be a no brainer. The Director is
clearly giving orders outside his or her area of expertise, and you would
not be insubordinate in refusing the order. You'd diplomatically explain
to the Director that you're following procedure. If the Director would
persist, you'd simply call for your sergeant to continue the debate.
When the Director is a sworn member, that Director has the tactical
command responsibility of any scene where there is not another sworn
member of equal or higher rank. In the example I just described, if the
Director is a Major, he or she won't direct you to pick up the casings.
However, you'd be required to follow any and all lawful orders given you
by a sworn Director.
Entry Level Rank
When you begin your career as a sworn police officer, your rank will be
police officer. While you may have the lowest rank in the department,
you'll be vested with full authority under the law. Your authority to
enforce laws is identical to the same authority possessed by the highest
sworn member of your police department.
Supervisory Ranks
Corporal: Not all police departments will have the rank of corporal.
Where the rank does exist, the corporal will have supervisory
responsibilities. When your sergeant is on leave or otherwise not
available, the corporal will assume the sergeant's supervisory duties.
Officer-In-Charge: When your squad supervisor (sergeant) is on leave
or otherwise unavailable, and there is no other supervisor of permanent
rank available, a police officer will be designated to supervise the squad.
While titles may vary among police departments, I'll use the term OIC
for officer-in-charge. Your sergeant may rotate the OIC position, or a
regular OIC may be designated. When the OIC is in charge, that police
officer is effectively an acting sergeant with all the authority and
responsibilities associated with a permanent rank sergeant.
Sergeant: The sergeant is usually the first supervisory rank within a
police department. In my opinion, the sergeant is the most important
and influential rank. The sergeant is a supervisor, trainer, and
facilitator. Whether the sergeant is supervising a squad in patrol or
officers of a specialized unit, the sergeant has enormous influence over
morale and implementation of departmental policies.
Lieutenant: The lieutenant is usually the first managerial position
within a police department. Lieutenants can be assigned to a wide range
of duties from the traditional patrol shift commander to commanding
smaller specialized units. The lieutenant is always responsible for the
administrative functions for the shifts and units they command.
Captain: The captain is usually the first command rank within a police
department. The captain may command a district or precinct.
Major; Lieutenant Coronel; Coronel: These are all command ranks
within a police department. How they are utilized depends upon the size
of a police department, budgetary considerations, and the wishes of the
police chief. For example, majors might be assigned as district/precinct
commanders or commanders of specialized functions such as the
director positions I described earlier. The lieutenant coronel might be
an area commander in charge of three districts/precincts while a coronel
may be in charge of all the departments districts/precincts.
It all depends on the size of the police department. The larger a police
department is will determine how closely the ranks fit the traditional
military model. You might come across a police department with a total
of 25 sworn members. In this department there's a police chief; three
majors; five captains; six lieutenants; seven sergeants and three police
officers. Obviously...the assignment of duties within this department
does not follow any military model. While one could say the command
structure of this department is top heavy, it's not a big deal since the
real rank structure is known to everyone because of the limited number
of people. In this department, the rank structure is probably based
more on seniority and pay grades rather than responsibilities
traditionally associated with the ranks.
A top heavy command structure only becomes a problem in larger police
departments. If a police department maintains the duties and
responsibilities of a traditional model, it should be obvious why too many
bosses can really complicate things and cause a lot of people a lot of
extra work. When too many positions of authority exist, the people in
those positions are constantly looking for ways to justify their existence.
That justification usually comes in the form of officers, sergeants, and
lieutenants tasked with implementing and tracking superfluous and
sometimes useless policies and projects.
What I've described is only a general guide to give you some
understanding of how police rank structures work. There is no single,
one size fits all definition. When you apply to a police department, you
should make yourself intimately familiar with that department's rank
structure. You'll be much better prepared for any interview when
you're familiar with the ranks and responsibilities associated with the
ranks. You'll also become familiar with unique terminology to that
department which will aid you in smoothly communicating with your
interviewer(s).
familiar with rank structure, and the general responsibilities and duties
associated with various ranks. Police departments have always followed
the military rank structure for one very simple reason...it's the most
efficient structure for an organization where discipline and the clear
delineation of responsibilities is essential.
...the idea that American police departments are paramilitary is
nonsense.
American police departments are not paramilitary organizations.
Simply because of the military rank structure, or specialized units
within police departments such as SWAT teams that use refined
military tactics in resolving high risk life threatening situations, some
people, even supposedly intelligent ones, like to throw around the
paramilitary label for self serving purposes. When you become a police
officer, you'll run into to those who think the military appearance of
uniforms and rank insignias present an image which is too harsh and
authoritarian. Some of these people even find their way into leadership
positions in police departments where they waste everybody's time with
their social experiments. In the end, the uniforms and insignias survive
because that's what works best.
Paramilitary - a - 1. designating, of, or having to do with forces working
alongside of or in place of a regular military organization, usually as a
semi-official, often secret, auxiliary.
2. Designating or of a private, often secret, quasi-military organization.
(Webster's Dictionary)
In countries that have a single national police force that may well be
controlled by that country's military, paramilitary organizations can
survive within the police structure. In the United States, where over
40,000 police departments exist under the supervision of state and local
governments, the idea that American police departments are
paramilitary is nonsense.
Sworn and Civilian Personnel
Every police organization is comprised of sworn and civilian personnel.
All those individuals who are sworn have police powers while the
civilians do not. In the higher management levels of police departments
there are positions which may be held by either a sworn individual or a
civilian. For instance, the management of your department's Public
Information Office might well be led by a civilian who has background
experience with news organizations.
Let's say your department has several high level positions held by
civilians. Their positions will be designated by a rank such as Director.
The director rank will probably be associated with a sworn rank for pay
grade purposes only. In this example we'll associate the sworn rank of
major with director. The civilian director will have the same command
authority as a major over those people, sworn and civilian, who work
under the limited scope of the director. However, outside the civilian
director's area of expertise, that same command authority does not
extend.
Let's say you're on the street handling a robbery incident. The Director
of Public Information, who is a civilian, is on the scene. The Director
orders you to participate in an interview with a television news crew.
This probably wouldn't happen, but if it did, what would you do?
Remember, you don't work in the public information office. If you say
you'd refuse the Director's order, you'd be insubordinate. The
Director's order is not unlawful, and the order is certainly within the
scope of the Director's expertise.
This time, the Director orders you to pick up shell casings, from shots
fired during the robbery, from the street so they won't get lost. You've
already marked the locations of the casings, and you're waiting for the
crime lab to photograph the scene and collect the casings. Do you follow
the Director's order? This should be a no brainer. The Director is
clearly giving orders outside his or her area of expertise, and you would
not be insubordinate in refusing the order. You'd diplomatically explain
to the Director that you're following procedure. If the Director would
persist, you'd simply call for your sergeant to continue the debate.
When the Director is a sworn member, that Director has the tactical
command responsibility of any scene where there is not another sworn
member of equal or higher rank. In the example I just described, if the
Director is a Major, he or she won't direct you to pick up the casings.
However, you'd be required to follow any and all lawful orders given you
by a sworn Director.
Entry Level Rank
When you begin your career as a sworn police officer, your rank will be
police officer. While you may have the lowest rank in the department,
you'll be vested with full authority under the law. Your authority to
enforce laws is identical to the same authority possessed by the highest
sworn member of your police department.
Supervisory Ranks
Corporal: Not all police departments will have the rank of corporal.
Where the rank does exist, the corporal will have supervisory
responsibilities. When your sergeant is on leave or otherwise not
available, the corporal will assume the sergeant's supervisory duties.
Officer-In-Charge: When your squad supervisor (sergeant) is on leave
or otherwise unavailable, and there is no other supervisor of permanent
rank available, a police officer will be designated to supervise the squad.
While titles may vary among police departments, I'll use the term OIC
for officer-in-charge. Your sergeant may rotate the OIC position, or a
regular OIC may be designated. When the OIC is in charge, that police
officer is effectively an acting sergeant with all the authority and
responsibilities associated with a permanent rank sergeant.
Sergeant: The sergeant is usually the first supervisory rank within a
police department. In my opinion, the sergeant is the most important
and influential rank. The sergeant is a supervisor, trainer, and
facilitator. Whether the sergeant is supervising a squad in patrol or
officers of a specialized unit, the sergeant has enormous influence over
morale and implementation of departmental policies.
Lieutenant: The lieutenant is usually the first managerial position
within a police department. Lieutenants can be assigned to a wide range
of duties from the traditional patrol shift commander to commanding
smaller specialized units. The lieutenant is always responsible for the
administrative functions for the shifts and units they command.
Captain: The captain is usually the first command rank within a police
department. The captain may command a district or precinct.
Major; Lieutenant Coronel; Coronel: These are all command ranks
within a police department. How they are utilized depends upon the size
of a police department, budgetary considerations, and the wishes of the
police chief. For example, majors might be assigned as district/precinct
commanders or commanders of specialized functions such as the
director positions I described earlier. The lieutenant coronel might be
an area commander in charge of three districts/precincts while a coronel
may be in charge of all the departments districts/precincts.
It all depends on the size of the police department. The larger a police
department is will determine how closely the ranks fit the traditional
military model. You might come across a police department with a total
of 25 sworn members. In this department there's a police chief; three
majors; five captains; six lieutenants; seven sergeants and three police
officers. Obviously...the assignment of duties within this department
does not follow any military model. While one could say the command
structure of this department is top heavy, it's not a big deal since the
real rank structure is known to everyone because of the limited number
of people. In this department, the rank structure is probably based
more on seniority and pay grades rather than responsibilities
traditionally associated with the ranks.
A top heavy command structure only becomes a problem in larger police
departments. If a police department maintains the duties and
responsibilities of a traditional model, it should be obvious why too many
bosses can really complicate things and cause a lot of people a lot of
extra work. When too many positions of authority exist, the people in
those positions are constantly looking for ways to justify their existence.
That justification usually comes in the form of officers, sergeants, and
lieutenants tasked with implementing and tracking superfluous and
sometimes useless policies and projects.
What I've described is only a general guide to give you some
understanding of how police rank structures work. There is no single,
one size fits all definition. When you apply to a police department, you
should make yourself intimately familiar with that department's rank
structure. You'll be much better prepared for any interview when
you're familiar with the ranks and responsibilities associated with the
ranks. You'll also become familiar with unique terminology to that
department which will aid you in smoothly communicating with your
interviewer(s).