Chief constable: Difference between revisions

'''Chief constableConstable''' is the [[Police ranks of the United Kingdom|rank]] used by the [[chief police officer]] of every [[List of police forces of the United Kingdom|territorial police force in the United Kingdom]] except for the [[City of London Police]] and the [[Metropolitan Police]], as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the [[British Transport Police]], [[Ministry of Defence Police]], and [[Civil Nuclear Constabulary]]. The title is also held by the chief officers of the principal [[Crown Dependency]] police forces, (the [[Isle of Man Constabulary]], [[States of Guernsey Police Service]], and [[States of Jersey Police]]) and the [[Sovereign Base Areas Police]] in Cyprus. The title was also held, ''ex officio'', by the president of the [[Association of Chief Police Officers]] under the [[Police Reform Act 2002]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=all+primary&PageNumber=11&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=112639&ActiveTextDocId=112766&filesize=774 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805225723/http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=all+primary&PageNumber=11&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=112639&ActiveTextDocId=112766&filesize=774 |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 August 2012 |title=President of ACPO |work=Police Reform Act 2002 }}</ref> It was also the title of the chief officer of the [[Royal Parks Constabulary]] until this agency was disbanded in 2004.

Throughout the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies there are currently fifty chief constables. These consist of the chief officers of 37 English territorial forces outside London, four Welsh territorial forces, the Police Service of Scotland, the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]], three special national forces and three Crown Dependency constabularies.

The chief officers of some police departments in Canada also hold the title of chief constable. The chief officer of the [[Sovereign Base Areas Police]] also holds the title of chief constable.

The first woman to hold the rank of chief constable was [[Pauline Clare]], appointed Chief Constable of the [[Lancashire Constabulary]] on 14 June 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/first-woman-chief-constable-is-appointed-1586466.html|title=First woman chief constable is appointed|publisherwork=The Independent|date=15 June 1995}}</ref>

[[File:Chief Constable Insignia (Tudor Crown).svg|Chief Constable|right|100px]]

The population of areas for which chief constables are responsible varies from aunder fewa hundred thousand to two or three million, and it is commonplace for chief constables for larger force areas to be drawn from the chief constables of smaller forces. A chief constable has no senior officer. Prior to 2012, a chief constable was responsible to a [[police authority]]. In [[England and Wales]], the chief constable is now appointed by and accountable to the [[Police and Crime Commissioner]] of their service, or to an [[Directly elected mayors in England and Wales|elected mayor]], who may also dismiss the chief constable.

The chief constable's badge of rank, worn on the [[epaulettes]], consists of crossed [[tipstaff|tipstaves]]s in a [[laurel wreath]], surmounted by a crown.<ref>[http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/information/students_researchers/ranks.aspx Police Ranks and Epaulette] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021524/http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/information/students_researchers/ranks.aspx |date=27 September 2007 }}, Avon and Somerset Constabulary website</ref> This is similar to the insignia of a [[lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] in the British Army, and is also worn by an [[Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|assistant commissioner]] in the [[Metropolitan Police]].

The salaries of chief constables vary from force to force, primarily on the basis of the population of their force's territory, but the amounts are fixed centrally. FromAs 1 Septemberof 20102022, the highest paid is the chief constable of the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]], on £193230,548000, in recognition of the unique security challenges and political sensitivity of that office. Other salaries range from £181,455 in the [[West Midlands Police|West Midlands]] and [[Greater Manchester Police|Greater Manchester]], down to £127,017 in [[Central Scotland Police|Central Scotland]]. The [[Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police]] and their [[Deputy commissioner of police of the metropolis|deputy]] are paid significantly more than any chief constable, partly because the Metropolitan Police has national anti-terrorism and security duties that overlap with other local forces, but also because the Metropolitan Police is by far the largest force in the country. As of 2011, the commissioner earns an annual salary of £260,088, whilst their deputy earns £214,722.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.police-information.co.uk/policepay.htm|title=Police Pay|work=police-information.co.uk}}</ref>

In 1869, the [[police division|divisions]] of the Metropolitan Police were grouped into four districts, and four new officers called '''district superintendents''' were appointed to command them, ranking between the [[Superintendent (police)|divisional superintendents]] and the two [[Assistant commissioner of police of the metropolis|assistant commissioners]]. These officers were to be generally military officers, civil servants or lawyers who were directly appointed to the rank. This caused a certain amount of concern, since some saw it as the creation of an "officer class" for the police, which had always been resisted. Their rank badge consisted of crossed [[tipstaff|tipstaves]] in a wreath.

In 1886, the rank of district superintendent was renamed chief constable, as it was decided that it could be confused with the divisional superintendents. Unlike their superiors, chief constables were actually sworn into the office of [[constable]], hence the name. A fifth chief constable was later created in the [[Criminal Investigation Department]]. TheIn 1919 the rank became junior to the new rank of [[deputy assistant commissioner]]s, who took over the districts in 19191933, with the chief constables remaining as their deputies until the latter rank was finally renamed [[Deputy commander (Metropolitan Police)|deputy commander]] in 1946.

[[Category:ChiefsBritish ofChief policeConstables| *]]