Police ranks, explained.
Every police rank in England and Wales, from constable to chief constable: what each one does, and the pips, stripes and crowns that show it on the shoulder.
The ranks, top to bottom
01 · Chief officer
Chief constable CC
Wears: A crown above crossed tipstaves in a laurel wreath.
Leads the force, and answers to the police and crime commissioner (or mayor) for it.
02 · Chief officer
Deputy chief constable DCC
Wears: A pip above crossed tipstaves in a laurel wreath.
Second in command. Often leads professional standards and runs the force day to day.
03 · Chief officer
Assistant chief constable ACC
Wears: Crossed tipstaves in a laurel wreath.
A chief officer with a portfolio, such as operations, crime or local policing.
04 · Senior officer
Chief superintendent Ch Supt
Wears: A crown above one pip.
Commands a policing area or a large department.
05 · Senior officer
Superintendent Supt
Wears: A crown.
Runs a large area or unit. Can authorise keeping a suspect in detention for up to 36 hours (PACE s.42).
06 · Inspecting rank
Chief inspector CI
Wears: Three pips.
Manages a department, or the inspectors and teams across an area.
07 · Inspecting rank
Inspector Insp
Wears: Two pips.
Leads a shift or a unit of sergeants and constables. Reviews detention and authorises searches after arrest (PACE ss.40 and 18).
08 · Supervisor
Sergeant PS (or Sgt)
Wears: Three stripes (chevrons) above a shoulder number.
Supervises a team of constables. Custody sergeants are the custody officers who decide on charge and detention.
09 · Constable
Constable PC
Wears: A shoulder number (collar number), and no rank badge.
Every officer starts here. Holds all the powers of a constable, whatever their role.
Pips, stripes and crowns: what they mean
Stripes (chevrons)
Three stripes are a sergeant. In England and Wales they point down; in Northern Ireland they point up.
Pips (Bath stars)
The silver star officers call a pip: an eight-pointed Bath star. Two for an inspector, three for a chief inspector, one under a crown for a chief superintendent.
Crown
Marks the superintending ranks and above. A superintendent wears the crown alone.
Tipstaves in a wreath
Crossed tipstaves inside a laurel wreath mark the chief officer ranks: ACC, DCC and chief constable.
Insignia are silver on black epaulettes in most forces, and black on yellow high-visibility kit. City of London Police insignia are gold. Northern Ireland uses green epaulettes with the PSNI star in place of the crown. Crowns are moving to the Tudor crown under King Charles III. These drawings are simplified.
The Met and the City of London
Up to chief superintendent, London’s ranks are the same as everywhere else. Above that, the Metropolitan Police uses commissioner ranks. The City of London Police has a commissioner, deputy commissioner and commander.
| Metropolitan Police | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Head of the Met |
| Deputy commissioner | Second in command |
| Assistant commissioner | Same insignia as a chief constable |
| Deputy assistant commissioner | Same insignia as a deputy chief constable |
| Commander | Same insignia as an assistant chief constable |
Detectives, specials, PCSOs and acting ranks
- Detectives
- The same ranks with “detective” in front, from DC to Det Ch Supt, for officers in investigative roles such as CID. Usually plain clothes.
- Student officers
- New constables in training, on the PCDA, DHEP or PCEP route. Constables in every sense, still learning the job.
- Special constables
- Volunteer officers with the full powers of a constable. Their epaulettes often carry “SC”, and special ranks and insignia vary between forces.
- PCSOs
- Police community support officers are police staff, not officers. Their epaulettes say “Police community support officer” with a shoulder number.
- Acting and designated ranks
- A sergeant can be designated to act as an inspector, and a chief inspector as a superintendent, for PACE powers (PACE s.107).
Going for sergeant or inspector?
Earn the stripes.
Promotion in England and Wales runs through the NPPF legal exam: crime, evidence and procedure, and general police duties. Hundreds of exam-style questions, timed mocks and a plan round your shifts, every answer sourced.
Questions people ask
What are the police ranks in order?
In England and Wales, from the top: chief constable, deputy chief constable, assistant chief constable, chief superintendent, superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable. The Metropolitan Police and City of London Police use commissioner ranks above chief superintendent.
What do pips mean on a police uniform?
Pips are the silver stars on the shoulder. An inspector wears two, a chief inspector three, and a chief superintendent wears one under a crown. A deputy chief constable wears one above crossed tipstaves in a wreath.
What rank is three stripes in the police?
Three stripes (chevrons) on the shoulder are a sergeant. Sergeants also wear a shoulder number, like constables.
What does a crown on a police officer’s shoulder mean?
A crown on its own is a superintendent. A crown above a pip is a chief superintendent, and a crown above crossed tipstaves in a wreath is a chief constable.
What is the highest police rank in the UK?
Chief constable is the highest rank in most forces. The Metropolitan Police is led by a commissioner, and so is the City of London Police.
Is a detective a different rank?
No. Detectives hold the same ranks, from detective constable to detective chief superintendent. “Detective” shows they work in an investigative role such as CID; they usually work in plain clothes.
How do you get promoted to sergeant or inspector?
In England and Wales, constables and sergeants go through the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF). Step two is a legal knowledge exam on crime, evidence and procedure, and general police duties. Pass it, and you can go for a role in your force.