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Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is arank used inpolice forces which follow theBritish model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to aschief inspector of police (CIP).
The rank of chief inspector is used in theNew South Wales Police andSouth Australia Police.Victoria Police declassified the rank in the mid-1990s. In both forces, it is senior to the rank ofinspector and junior to the rank ofsuperintendent. The insignia consists of a crown, the same insignia as that of aMajor in the army.
TheSûreté du Québec and the City of Montreal Police Service (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal or SPVM) utilize the rank of chief inspector. In both forces, the insignia consists of four gold stripes, similar to the former insignia of a colonel in the Canadian Army and Air Force. Until 1978, the SPVM used British-pattern insignia for the rank consisting of a crown over two pips, also utilizing the rank of assistant chief inspector (a crown over one pip). Both ranks were subsequently abolished. The rank of chief inspector was restored in the SPVM in 1995 and the current insignia adopted in 1997.[1]
In theHong Kong Police Force, a chief inspector is normally the second-in-command of a headquarters unit or adivision.
In theJapanese National Police Agency, a chief inspector (警部 [ja]) serves as the squad commander in a police station and leader of a riot company. Prior to a 2013 restructuring that changed the English translation slightly, this rank was that of inspector.
In theRoyal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, a chief inspector is normally a police station commander or the second-in-command of the Police Training College. It is a rank betweensenior inspector andsuperintendent.
In thePhilippines, chief inspector is a rank in theBureau of Jail Management and Penology and theBureau of Fire Protection. It is above senior inspector and below superintendent and is regarded as the equivalent ofmajor in thePhilippine Army.
In theRomanian Police,inspector principal is a rank senior toinspector and junior toSubcomisar and corresponds to the former rank ofpolice captain.
The rank has been abolished by theSingapore Police Force, except for theGurkha Contingent.
In theSri Lanka Police Service, chief inspector of Police (CIP) is senior toinspector and junior toassistant superintendent of police. In large cities, a chief inspector is the officer in charge (OIC) of a largepolice station. The rank insignia for a chief inspector is three stars.
In the British police, a chief inspector is senior to an inspector and junior to asuperintendent.
Today, the function of chief inspectors varies from force to force. They may assistBasic Command Unit (BCU) commanders, command smaller units, or fill various staff posts. In some forces such asHampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary andSussex Police, the chief inspector is the senior officer in command of a district (usually consisting of one or more local authority areas). In this respect they have replaced superintendents as the head police officer of larger towns.
Detective chief inspector (DCI) is usually the minimum rank held by a senior investigating officer (SIO), who heads major investigations (e.g.murder), and a pool of these officers usually works out of force headquarters or major police stations. The senior Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer in each BCU usually also holds this rank.
The rank badge of a chief inspector is threeBath stars ("pips") worn on theepaulettes. This is the same badge as acaptain in theBritish Army. Until 1953, chief inspectors in the Metropolitan Police wore a crown on their epaulettes instead.
Chief inspector was one of the ranks proposed for abolition in the1994 Sheehy Report, but in the end it was retained.
A number of city and burgh police forces inScotland used the rank oflieutenant until 1948, when it was replaced by chief inspector.[2]
The rank was introduced into theMetropolitan Police in 1868 and was first used byAdolphus Williamson, the first head of the Detective Branch (later theCriminal Investigation Department). When Williamson was promoted to superintendent shortly afterwards, three of hisinspectors were promoted to chief inspector and the rank was firmly established. In 1869 it was also introduced as a uniformed rank, with the senior assistant to thedivisional superintendent being given the rank. The rank subsequently spread to other police forces.
From 1933, every Metropolitan Police division had two chief inspectors: chief inspector (administration) and chief inspector (crime) (the latter also being a uniformed administrative officer and not replacing thedivisional detective inspector (DDI)). From 1949,sub-divisional inspectors and DDIs were regraded as chief inspectors and current chief inspectors were regraded as superintendents. From 1953, chief inspectors commanding sub-divisions and detective chief inspectors commanding divisional CIDs were regraded as superintendents grade I, other chief inspectors were regraded as superintendents grade II, and a redefined rank of chief inspector was created for senior inspectors. Since 1974, the Metropolitan Police has only had one rank of superintendent, in common with the rest of the country.
From January 1954, there was one superintendent grade I and one chief inspector in each sub-division, and one chief superintendent, one superintendent grade II and one detective superintendent grade I in each division.[3] A detective chief inspector was added in each division later in 1954.[4]
It was announced in October 2016 that the rank (along with the rank of commander) would be phased out of the Metropolitan Police Service by October 2018;[5] however, this plan was later cancelled.[6]