Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces except for the Northern Territory. Where it exists, it is generally the next senior rank from Senior Sergeant, and is the lowest commissioned rank. Uniformed officers of this rank wear epaulettes with three pips, matching a Captain in the army. In addition to the general rank of inspector, some police forces use other ranks such as detective inspector and district inspector.Austria
In Austria a similar scheme was used as in Germany. At some point the police inspector was completely removed from the list of service ranks. The current police service has an inspectors service track with Inspektor being the entry level – it is followed by Revierinspektor, Gruppeninspektor, Bezirksinspektor, Abteilungsinspektor, Kontrollinspektor and Chefinspektor.Canada
In most Canadian police services the rank of inspector is the first officer/commissioned officer rank, above that of staff sergeant. It is usually immediately below the rank of superintendent. Depending on the police force, an inspector may be considered senior management. The rank insignia of an inspector in Canada is usually a crown on the epaulettes, the insignia of a major in the army. In some police services such as the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary or the Vancouver Police Department, the rank insignia are three pips, similar to the insignia of an army captain, while in others including the Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police, the insignia consists of two maple leaves, similar to an army lieutenant's insignia.Provincial police services and the majority of municipal police services, such as the Toronto Police Service have a staff inspector rank, which ranks above inspector and below superintendent.
France
In the French National Police, inspecteur is a former rank of members of the Command and Management Corps. There were several grades of inspecteur, with senior detectives holding the various grades of commissaire. See French National Police for current ranks. In the French customs, inspecteur is the first rank of members of the Command and Management Corps.Germany
Currently, in Germany, Inspektor is a civil service rank. It is the lowest and therefore the entry rank of the gehobener Dienst requiring a degree from a three-year administrative college. The rank is not used in the German police services; there the equivalent of inspector is Kommissar. In earlier times the upper service track was called Inspektorenlaufbahn ranging from Inspektor, Oberinspektor, Amtmann, Amtsrat to Oberamtsrat.The title is used on many professional areas that require an inspection service, like Brandinspektor, Steuerinspektor and Bauinspektor that are in a supervision position of their department. In many administrations, a corresponding position exists like Regierungsinspektor, Stadtinspektor/''Stadtverwaltungsinspektor, Kreisinspektor/Kreisverwaltungsinspektor that serve in supervision of the department.
In some regions Inspektor'' is a colloquial name for any police officer, just like in Austria.
Hong Kong
In the Hong Kong Police Force, inspector is a rank senior to station sergeant but junior to chief inspector, leading a sub-unit between 30 and 80 people in day-to-day policing. The rank badge for probationary inspector is one silver pip on his or her epaulette; two silver pips for inspector of police; and two silver pips and one bar for senior inspector of police. The epaulettes rank badge for chief inspector is three silver pips. The epaulettes of all inspectors do not show their unique identification number. Plainclothes detective inspectors have the prefix "detective" identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of the Criminal Investigation Department or Organised Crime Triad Bureau.Several of the HKP's past and current commissioner of chiefs joined the force as a probationary inspector.
The Customs and Excise Department also has an inspector rank but with bronze stars and bars rank badges instead.
In addition, there are health inspectors from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department who carry out investigations and prosecutions on sanitary nuisances and food business irregularities under relevant ordinances. They are characterised by golden stars and yellow rank badges.
India
An inspector of police in India is normally the officer in charge of a police station, and may be designated station house officer. In rural areas of some states, an inspector of police may be in charge of a police circle, which comprises two or more police stations. In this capacity, they are known as circle inspectors. Inspectors oversee investigations and co-ordinate law enforcement operations in their respective jurisdictions, and may also head special units. Their insignia is three stars with a ribbon that is half red and half blue. The rank is above sub-inspector and below additional superintendent of police and deputy superintendent of police. Inspectors, along with sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, comprise around 13% of the total police personnel in India.Indonesia
In the Indonesian National Police, there are four levels of inspector, which are Inspektur Polisi Satu, Inspektur Polisi Dua, Ajun Inspektur Polisi Satu, and Ajun Inspektur Polisi Dua. Those ranks are below the rank of Ajun Komisaris Polisi and above the rank of Brigadir Polisi Kepala.Republic of Ireland
In the Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland, inspectors are senior to sergeants and junior to superintendents. Inspectors may be either detectives or in uniform. There is no rank of chief inspector in the Garda.Italy
In the Polizia di Stato, the position of Ispettore replaced the rank of Maresciallo after the 1981 reorganization and demilitarization of the corps; an Ispettore is thus a sergeant of several sorts, above the rank of Sovrintendente and under the rank of Commissario. There are three four inspector ranks in the Polizia di Stato: Vice Ispettore, Ispettore, Ispettore Capo and Ispettore Superiore, roughly equivalent to the ranks ranging from junior sergeant to second lieutenant. A fifth position, called Ispettore Superiore S.U.P.S., where the acronym stands for Sostituto Ufficiale di Pubblica Sicurezza, is used to designate those inspectors which can act as substitutes for commissioners in the chain of command under certain situations, or in police detachments that are too small to require the presence of a commissioner; when this happens, the officer is named Ispettore Superiore – Sostituto Commissario. Inspectors can serve either in uniformed patrol duties, plainclothed patrol duties, or as detectives. The inspector ranks are the highest that an Italian police officer can reach without having a university degree.Malaysia
In the Royal Malaysia Police, the rank of inspector is one level above sub-inspector and one level below assistant superintendent. There are two stages: probation inspector and inspector. Inspectors are recruited differently from normal police constables, requiring at least a degree, and their training is longer.Montenegro
In the Police of Montenegro, the title of police inspector is reserved for college or police academy educated staff, with six ranks based on seniority. Although supervisory staff in uniformed police units also hold various police inspector ranks, in common parlance, the title of inspector is usually used referring to police officers working in plainclothes in criminal investigation units, equivalent to detective in some countries.There are also numerous civilian inspector titles, fitting various inspection and supervision roles within governmental structure of Montenegro
Nepal
In the Nepal Police, the rank of inspector is generally the next senior rank from senior sub-inspector and is less senior than a deputy superintendent of police. Members holding the rank usually wear an epaulette featuring one pair of crossed kukri, the same rank badge as an inspector in the Armed Police Force.New Zealand
In the New Zealand Police, Inspector is the rank above Senior Sergeant and below Superintendent. Inspectors are the first rank that require the Governor General to approve their appointment, this process is known as commissioning. Inspectors in the New Zealand Police are equivalent to Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police or Captain in military ranks. The rank epaulette insignia is three stars or 'pips' on the rank slide.Inspectors in the New Zealand Police are often in charge of groups or areas, positions held primary by Inspectors include, but are not limited to, Manager of the Fleet Service Group, Area Commanders, Police National Headquarters, District Group Manager.