Misplaced Pages

#180819

82-473: Police commissioners may be experienced police officers , though some are politically appointed, or elected civilians; not sworn police officers. In such cases, usually a professional chief of police is in charge of day-to-day operations. In either event, commissioners are the designated heads of the organizations. In police services of the UK, Commonwealth and United States, the title of commissioner may designate

164-822: A National Police commissioner is the chief of a police station . This rank is called comisario principal . A commissioner exists in the biggest cities, and in smaller cities, the chief of the police is headed by a superintendent . In the Civil Guard , this rank does not exist because it has a military organization. In England and Wales, outside of Greater London, police and crime commissioners are directly elected officials charged with securing efficient and effective policing of their police area . They are not warranted police officers , although they appoint and hold to account their chief constable . The first police and crime commissioners were elected in November 2012, with

246-488: A goose step . The language spoken during drills changed from English to Chinese, and junior officers stopped addressing higher-ranking officers with "Yes Sir". During the 1940s, the HKPF faced a number of corruption scandals involving officers. During the 1950s and 1960s, the force struggled with corruption issues relating to bribes from syndicated drugs and illegal gambling operations . Police corruption again emerged as

328-487: A Bronze Commander would be a senior officer on the ground, coordinating the efforts in the center of the emergency, Silver Commanders would be positioned in an 'Incident Control Room' erected to improve better communications at the scene, and a Gold Commander would be in overall command in the Control Room. Police are also responsible for reprimanding minor offenders by issuing citations which typically may result in

410-505: A Senior Deputy with The San Francisco Sheriff's Office earned a top salary of double those in Connecticut. There are numerous concerns affecting the safety and health of police officers, including occupational stress and death in the line of duty. On August 6, 2019, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the creation of the first U.S. state-wide program to support the mental health of police officers. The goal of

492-512: A badge, but instead carry a warrant card for identification. The uniform also does not include shoulder patches. Instead, a silver HKPF emblem is displayed on the headgear. The only patch on the uniform reads “Police” in English and Chinese, and is sewn above the left breast pocket of the shirt. Navy blue epaulettes worn on all uniform shirts and jackets show the officer's rank insignia (if any) and unique identification number. Uniform officers wear

574-429: A black Sam Browne belt with shoulder strap. Female officers wore a short-sleeved beige shirt with a knee-length skirt until the mid-1990s when they were given the same uniform as male officers (without the shoulder strap). Bermuda shorts were worn by male officers instead of trousers from the early 20th century until the 1970s. Retired winter uniform: A cornflower blue (or white, for commissioned officers) shirt with

656-488: A black whistle on the front right pocket and insignia on the collar for commissioned officers. A Sam Browne belt is also worn. The previous uniforms were reminiscent of the British colonial era, and were replaced with what were intended to be more modern, international, and cosmopolitan uniforms in 2005. Retired summer uniform: A short-sleeved olive green tunic-style tropical field shirt, and olive green trousers worn with

738-478: A blue and red striped necktie, worn under a heavy navy blue tunic coat and a Sam Browne Belt with shoulder strap, and navy blue trousers. The tunic may be removed and shirt sleeves folded up to the elbows when working indoors or in warmer weather. Retired headgear: Pith helmets, turbans and conical hats were worn (depending on the ethnicity of the officer) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Berets, peaked caps and bowler hats (for female officers) were introduced in

820-541: A commissioner ( komisarz ) is a relatively low rank, directly above podkomisarz and below nadkomisarz , comparable to a lieutenant of the armed forces. Historically, in the Civil Police of Portugal, a police commissioner ( Portuguese : comissário ) was a divisional commander in the Lisbon and Oporto police forces or the chief of a district police force in the other districts of the country. The chief of each of

902-453: A corresponding uniform, some police officers are plain-clothed in order to pass themselves off as members of the public. In most countries police officers are given exemptions from certain laws to perform their duties. For example, an officer may use force if necessary to arrest or detain a person when it would ordinarily be assault. In some countries, officers can also violate traffic code to perform their duties. The word "police" comes from

SECTION 10

#1732773095181

984-577: A major concern in the early 1970s when the Commissioner ordered investigations to break the culture of corruption, causing forty-odd officers to flee Hong Kong with more than HK$ 80 million cash (about HK$ 2 million each). More recently, the Hong Kong Police Force has faced extensive allegations of misconduct during the 2019 protests including excessive force, brutality, torture, and falsified evidence. In particular,

1066-488: A medical emergency. Police are typically trained in basic first aid such as CPR . Some park rangers are commissioned as law enforcement officers and carry out a law-enforcement role within national parks and other back-country wilderness and recreational areas, whereas military police perform law enforcement functions within the military. In most countries, candidates for the police force must have completed some formal education. Increasing numbers of people joining

1148-511: A national commissioner ( Icelandic : Ríkislögreglustjóri ) (four-star-rank) that is the head of 15 districts across Iceland. The commissioner is not an experienced police officer whatsoever, like most police chiefs in Iceland are educated lawyers, not experienced police officers. Of the 15 districts in the Icelandic police, each has a police chief of its own, but the national commissioner

1230-486: A policing authority in the new colony, empowering Captain William Caine to enforce Qing law in respect of local inhabitants and "British Police Law" for "non-natives". By October 1842, an organised police force (still under the direction of Caine who was also Chief Magistrate) was routinely bringing criminals before the courts for trial. Caine's role as head of the police force ended when its first Superintendent

1312-434: A public safety function at large gatherings, as well as in emergencies , disasters , search and rescue operations, and traffic collisions . To provide a prompt response in emergencies, the police often coordinate their operations with fire and emergency medical services . In some countries, individuals serve jointly as police officers as well as firefighters (creating the role of fire police ). In many countries, there

1394-424: A short-sleeved shirt can be worn with an open collar in warm weather. A waist-length dark blue windbreaker can also be worn over the shirt in cooler temperatures. Male officers typically wear a black peaked cap while female officers wear a black bowler hat with a red stripe. Dark-blue baseball caps may also be worn. Specialized unites wear either dark blue baseball caps or navy blue berets. HKPF officers do not wear

1476-399: A slide with a silver vertical line on the collar of the uniform, a black baton, and a red whistle or a black and white whistle on the front right pocket. The current Hong Kong Police uniform was implemented in 2005. Most front-line officers wear a light blue shirt and dark blue cargo trousers, while senior officers wear a white shirt. A long-sleeved shirt is worn with a black necktie, while

1558-412: A utility belt which holds a sidearm, extra ammunition, a handcuff , an extendable baton , a pepper spray , a Motorola radio with a connected remote speaker microphone attached to the shoulder and a body-mounted camera. While the HKPF had been following their past equipment procurement policies for Hong Kong’s British legacy, following the international arms trading embargo imposed after the passing of

1640-524: A white helmet. A blue baseball-style cap is worn when not riding. Rural Patrol Unit: Cargo shirt and trousers in olive green are worn with either a dark blue baseball-style cap or a navy blue beret. Cargo shirt and trousers in Disruptive Pattern Camouflage is also sometimes worn. Other specialized units: In some specialized units, a cargo shirt is worn in either olive green, dark blue, or disruptive pattern camouflage (depending on

1722-478: Is a common emergency telephone number that allows the police, firefighters, or medical services to be summoned to an emergency. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom , have introduced command procedures for use in major emergencies or disorder. In the UK, The Gold Silver Bronze command structure is a system set up to improve communications between ground-based officers and the control room. Typically,

SECTION 20

#1732773095181

1804-485: Is a crown over crossed and wreathed tipstaves, similar to the insignia of a military lieutenant-general. After the proclamation of the 1959 Constitution of Brunei , it was stated that a Commissioner of Police has to be appointed for the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF). The first commissioner was appointed on 29 September 1959, assuming command of the force. The Commissioner of Police, who oversees

1886-553: Is above them, the minister of judicial affairs is in charge of law enforcement in Iceland. The garda commissioner is the officer overseeing the Garda Síochána , the national police force. In India, the commissioner of police designation is held by different ranks of Indian Police Service officers at different places. The Commissioner of Police holds a pivotal role as the head of city police forces in India. For example, it

1968-400: Is an accepted version of this page public safety , civil service , public service , rescue, A police officer (also called a policeman (male) or policewoman (female), a cop , an officer , or less commonly a constable ) is a warranted law employee of a police force . In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of

2050-463: Is appointed for a five-year term by the governor-general , and reports to the minister of police . The position combines two functions, that of chief constable in charge of policing and cases, and chief executive responsible for assets and budgeting. The rank insignia is a sword and a rectangular cylinder crossed over each other with a single crown above. In military terms, the rank is equivalent to Lieutenant General . The Police Force Act 1886 split

2132-853: Is held by a Director General of Police (DGP) rank officer in Delhi and Kolkata ; and by an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) rank officer in Mumbai , Bangalore , Hyderabad , Visakhapatnam , Lucknow , Kanpur , Varanasi, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Gautam Budh Nagar , and Surat ; by Inspector General of Police (IGP) officer in Cyberabad Metropolitan Police , Gurgaon , Pune , Nashik , Coimbatore , Madurai , Thane , Howrah , Siliguri , Trivandrum , and Cochin ; and by Deputy Inspector General of Police officer in Bidhannagar , Kozhikode and in many small cities. In

2214-543: Is no stigma in shunning promotion, as experienced line patrol officers are highly regarded. Dependent upon each agency, but generally after completing two years of service, officers may apply for specialist positions, such as detective , police dog handler, mounted police officer, motorcycle officer, water police officer, or firearms officer (in countries where police are not routinely armed). In some countries, including Singapore , police ranks are supplemented through conscription , similar to national service in

2296-682: Is the primary law enforcement , investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong . Pursuant to the one country, two systems principle, the HKPF is officially independent of the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China , which under usual circumstances may not interfere with Hong Kong’s local law enforcement matters. All HKPF officers are employed as civil servants and therefore required to pledge allegiance to

2378-536: Is to maintain order, keeping the peace through surveillance of the public, and the subsequent reporting and apprehension of suspected violators of the law. They also function to discourage crimes through high-visibility policing, and most police forces have an investigative capability. Police have the legal authority to arrest and detain, usually granted by magistrates. Police officers also respond to calls for service , along with routine community policing . Police are often used as an emergency service and may provide

2460-542: The British Army had operated the border patrol. The force played a prominent role in the process of the handover of sovereignty in 1997 and continues to perform ceremonial flag-raising on each anniversary. With the handover of sovereignty, the police force dropped the prefix "Royal" from its name. In the 2010s, the police force played a prominent role in relation to the 2014 Hong Kong protests and 2019–20 Hong Kong protests . Following Chris Tang 's appointment as

2542-550: The Commissioner of Police in November 2019, the police force changed its motto from "We serve with pride and care", which had been used for more than 20 years, to "Serving Hong Kong with honour, duty and loyalty." The Economist suggested that this change would curry favour with the central government of China . In July 2022, as part of a process to remove colonial aspects from the force, foot drills changed from British style to Chinese People's Liberation Army style with

Police commissioner - Misplaced Pages Continue

2624-766: The Hong Kong Basic Law . The HKPF consists of approximately 34,000 officers, including the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force , civil servants, and its Marine Region (3,000 officers and 143 vessels as of 2009). A police force has been serving Hong Kong since shortly after the island was established as a colony in 1841. On 30 April 1841, 12 weeks after the British landed in Hong Kong, Captain Charles Elliot established

2706-581: The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was created to give government wide-ranging powers to investigate corruption. At the turn of the 1980s, the Hong Kong Police Force began marketing itself as "Asia's Finest". The recruitment of Europeans to the force ceased in 1994, and in 1995 the Royal Hong Kong Police took responsibility for patrolling the boundary with China. Prior to 1995,

2788-602: The Indonesian National Police , the four levels of commissioner are police chief commissioner ( komisaris besar polisi ), police deputy chief commissioner ( ajun komisaris besar polisi ), police commissioner ( komisaris polisi ), and police deputy commissioner ( ajun komisaris polisi ). Due to strong military influence in its history, even now, police ranks can be compared to the ranks of the Indonesian military. The four commissioner ranks are equivalent to

2870-538: The Indonesian military ranks of colonel , lieutenant colonel , major , and captain , respectively. In the Italian Police , a commissioner ( commissario ) is the superintendent of a commissariato , a police station/detachment that can either serve an entire township of small or medium dimensions, or a limited area in a metropolitan city. The Japanese Prefectural police forces used this rank, and it

2952-493: The National Security Law in 2020, the HKPF had started importing firearms from Mainland China to refresh their inventory. Traffic Branch Motorcyclists: A heavy, bright, yellow and blue reflective jacket is worn. In warmer weather, a lightweight yellow reflective vest is an alternative. Black knee-high leather riding boots are also worn with navy blue riding trousers, along with protective gear such as gloves and

3034-754: The St Edward's Crown was used in the insignia, when it was replaced with the Bauhinia flower crest of the Hong Kong government. Pips were modified with the Bauhinia flower in the middle replacing the insignia from the Order of the Bath . The crest of the force was modified in 1997. The rank structure, organisation and insignia are similar to those used by the Metropolitan Police Service until

3116-562: The commissioner of police is the head of the national law enforcement agency called the Mauritius Police Force (MPF), which is responsible for policing on mainland Mauritius, Rodrigues, and other outer islands. The position dates back to 1767, when Antoine Codère was the first commissioner of police. The commissioner operates under the aegis of the Home Affairs Division of the prime minister's office and

3198-552: The 1970s and 1980s, large numbers of Vietnamese boat people arrived in Hong Kong, posing challenges first for marine police, secondly for officers who manned the dozens of camps in the territory and lastly for those who had to repatriate them. The force was granted the use of the title ‘royal’ in 1969 for its handling of the Hong Kong 1967 riots — renaming it the Royal Hong Kong Police Force . In 1974,

3280-942: The Crime Department of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force in 1946 and focussed on preventing pro-KMT rightists and pro-CCP leftists from infiltrating the colony. Police officers enjoy remuneration far exceeding median incomes in the Special Administrative Region (HK$ 18,000 per month in 2019 ), the base rate for newly recruited police constables with minimal high school education being HK$ 24,110 per month and that for high school matriculants being HK$ 42,655. In addition, all officers enjoy extensive housing benefits , free medical and dental benefits (including coverage of family members), with substantial vacation, sick and maternity leave allowances exceeding statutory minimums. In addition, officers and their families enjoy substantial fringe benefits through

3362-521: The Greek politeia , meaning government , which came to mean its civil administration. The more general term for the function is law enforcement officer or peace officer. A sheriff is typically the top police officer of a county, with that word coming from the person enforcing law over a shire . A person who has been deputized to serve the function of the sheriff is referred to as the deputy. Police officers are those empowered by government to enforce

Police commissioner - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-601: The Latin capere , brought to English via the Old French caper . The responsibilities of a police officer are varied, and may differ greatly from within one political context to another. Typical duties relate to keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of people and property and the investigation of crimes. Officers are expected to respond to a variety of situations that may arise while they are on duty. Rules and guidelines dictate how an officer should behave within

3526-592: The Lisbon and Oporto police forces had the title of commissioner general ( comissário-geral ). With the reorganization of Civil Police and its transformation in the Public Security Police (PSP) in the 1930s, commissioner became a police rank in this force. Presently, commissioner is an officer rank in the PSP, roughly equivalent to the military rank of captain. It is above the rank of subcommissioner and below that of superintendent. Commissioners usually have

3608-679: The MPF employs around 12,500 police officers, who are posted at the eight divisions and 14 branches. The first chief commissioner is the head of the National Police Corps . The commissioner is appointed by the Crown, and reports to the minister of Justice and Security . The commissioner is the highest-ranking sworn police member in the country. The commissioner of police is the head of the New Zealand Police . The commissioner

3690-807: The RPB headquarters (the Commissioner's of Police Office) with assistance from the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Secretariat, reports directly to the monarch . In Canada, the highest-ranking officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and of the Ontario Provincial Police holds the rank of commissioner. In the province of Alberta, the Police Act requires the municipality to appoint police commissioners that are required to provide public oversight of

3772-778: The United States, an average patrol officer's salary was $ 64,610 in 2021. In London, capital of the UK, a police officer's average basic salary in 2020 was £36,773 per annum. In the Netherlands, the average police officer working on the street is ranked in salary scale 6 to 9, €27,584 to €54,177 gross (€23,805 to €38,037 net) per year. Apart from these scales, there are higher functions which can increase an officer's salary. In some towns of Fairfield County, Connecticut , Police officers have earned $ 178,000-$ 312,000 with overtime. Similar pay rates have made reports for New Jersey and Oakland, California police officers. In 2023,

3854-651: The branch of police and department to which he belongs, similar to the equivalent of an inspector in British-styled police forces. Roughly equivalent to a British commissioner would be (Landes-) Polizeipräsident or Inspekteur der Polizei , titles that differ between police forces in Germany. The head of the Hong Kong Police (Royal Hong Kong Police Force 1969 to 30 June 1997) force has used this title since 1938. The National Police of Iceland employs

3936-627: The commander of the HKPF and reports directly to the Secretary for Security . The HKPF is divided into six primary departments: Operations & Support, Crime & Security, Personnel & Training, Management Services, Finance, Administration & Planning, and National Security . The Special Branch was established by the British Colonial Government of Hong Kong in 1934 originally as an anti-communist squad under MI5 with assistance from MI6 . The branch later joined

4018-589: The commissioner was no longer the highest paid official on the New Zealand public payroll instead being the 5th. The top spot instead being the Guardian of New Zealand Superannuation . In 2020, then Commissioner of Police, Andrew Coster was paid a salary of $ 700,000 NZD . In Nigeria , a commissioner of police is the head of an entire state branch of the Nigeria Police Force . In Poland,

4100-399: The community, and in many contexts, restrictions are placed on what the uniformed officer may wear. In some countries, rules and procedures dictate that a police officer is obliged to intervene in a criminal incident, even when off-duty. Police officers in nearly all countries retain their lawful powers while off duty. In the majority of Western legal systems, the major role of the police

4182-436: The context. The Australian Federal Police and the autonomous Australian state and territory police forces are each presided over by a commissioner, who is accountable to constituents through a minister of state. The state of Victoria at one time (during the 19th-century Gold Rush ) appointed commissioners for both the metropolitan area and the goldfields. Outranking both was a " chief commissioner "—a title that has survived

SECTION 50

#1732773095181

4264-562: The disappearance of the earlier junior commissioners. In Victoria, as elsewhere, the second-highest rank is deputy commissioner. The insignia of rank worn by a commissioner in the Australian Federal Police and the New South Wales Police Force is a crown over a star and crossed and wreathed tipstaves, similar to the insignia of a military full general. In all other civilian forces, the insignia

4346-422: The early to mid-20th century. Baseball-style caps for some specialized units were also introduced in the early 21st century. Until 1998, all officers wore a black whistle lanyard over the left shoulder running under the epaulet with the double cord attached to a whistle tucked in to the left breast tunic pocket. Officers who had received a Commissioner of Police Commendation or HE Governor's Commendation were issued

4428-558: The force retained after the liberation of Hong Kong from Japan and were given the letter designation of "J". Officers served pre-war were also reinstated into the force. The 1950s saw the commencement of Hong Kong's 40-year rise to global prominence, during which time the Hong Kong Police tackled many issues that have challenged Hong Kong's stability. Between 1949 and 1989 , Hong Kong experienced several huge waves of immigration from mainland China , most notably 1958–62 . In

4510-424: The force. The Police Children's Education Trust and Police Education & Welfare Trust disburse funds by way of scholarships, bursaries and grants for education expenses and to assist officers with needy children or in financial difficulty. These funds were also the recipients of HK$ 10 million in 2017 from an undisclosed donor. Numerous associations of serving and retired police officers have been formed over

4592-743: The head of an entire police force, or a member of an oversight board of police commissioners. A police commissioner should not be confused with a police commissary. In France, Italy, Spain and some Latin American countries "commissary" denotes the head of a single police station (analogous to a inspector or chief inspector in UK and Commonwealth countries). However titles such as commissaire in French, commissario in Italian and comisario in Spanish can mean either commissioner or commissary in English, depending on

4674-404: The imposition of fines , particularly for violations of traffic law. Traffic enforcement is often, but not always, accomplished by police officers on police motorcycles —called motor officers, these officers refer to the motorcycles they ride on duty as simply motors. Police are also trained to assist persons in distress, such as motorists whose cars have broken down and people experiencing

4756-450: The laws it creates. In The Federalist collection of articles and essays, James Madison wrote: " If men were angels, no Government would be necessary ". These words apply to those who serve government, including police. A common nickname for a police officer is "cop"; derived from the verb sense "to arrest", itself derived from "to grab". Thus, "someone who captures", a "copper", was shortened to just "cop". It may also find its origin in

4838-739: The lowest electorate turnout ever in England and Wales. Historically the title "commissioner" has denoted the professional chief police officer of certain police forces, and that is still the case within Greater London, with the Commissioner of the City of London Police and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis . Both these commissioners are appointed, not elected, and since the 1950s have been career police officers (as opposed to

4920-486: The mid-1970s. Up until 1997, uniforms and hats had distinctions according to their rank. For example, senior constable and sergeant ranks are plastic ranks on the sleeve of the uniform. Special Duties Unit , Marine Police, and the Counter-terrorism Response Unit have their ranks at the back of the helmet or vest. Inspector to senior superintendent ranks have an insignia on the collar of

5002-620: The military or security services. In the United States, state laws may codify statewide qualification standards regarding age, education, criminal record, and training, but in other countries requirements are set by local police agencies. Generally, each police agency has different requirements. Promotion is not automatic and usually requires the candidate to pass some kind of examination, interview board or other selection procedure. Although promotion normally includes an increase in salary , it also brings with it an increase in responsibility and for most, an increase in administrative paperwork. There

SECTION 60

#1732773095181

5084-518: The military. Qualifications may thus be relaxed or enhanced depending on the target mix of conscripts. Conscripts face tougher physical requirements in areas such as eyesight, but minimum academic qualification requirements are less stringent. Some join as volunteers, again via differing qualification requirements. In some societies, police officers are paid relatively well compared to other occupations; their pay depends on what rank they are within their police force and how many years they have served. In

5166-495: The police from the standing army and militia on 1 September 1886. Sir George Whitmore was appointed as the first commissioner, reporting to the minister of defence. Early commissioners came from the United Kingdom with military or law-enforcement experience, such as Walter Dinnie, who had served as inspector at Scotland Yard . In 2006, the commissioner was the highest paid official on the New Zealand public payroll. By 2019,

5248-503: The police possess tertiary education qualifications and in response to this, many police forces have developed a "fast-track" scheme whereby those with university degrees spend two to three years as a constable before receiving promotion to higher ranks, such as sergeants or inspectors . (Officers who work within investigative divisions or plainclothes are not necessarily of a higher rank but merely have different duties.) Police officers are also recruited from those with experience in

5330-632: The police were criticised for their failure to respond during the mob attack at the Yuen Long MTR station in July 2019. Several lawsuits were filed in October 2019 against the HKPF for failure to show identification during protests. In May 2023, the HKPF recommended that schools install CCTV cameras in school classrooms to enhance security. From 2019 to 2022, 24 to 42 police officers were arrested per year. The Commissioner of Police serves as

5412-415: The police. In Alberta's capital city, Edmonton , there are nine commissioners, including two city councillors and seven city-appointed members, the object being to "provide civilian oversight for the police service". The commissioners appoint and oversee a chief of police, to whom is delegated the day-to-day management of the force. In reference to the police of France and other French-speaking countries,

5494-449: The previous practice of appointing former British Army officers). Although they were technically justices of the peace until the 1970s, the commissioners have always worn a similar uniform to police officers, and have been treated similarly in terms of pay and terms of service. Some U.S. police agencies use the title "commissioner" for the head of a police department or state agency. The term may refer to: Police officer This

5576-496: The pro-Beijing Friends of Hong Kong Association, which consists of National People’s Congress delegates and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference national committee, in 2019, raised concern, as did a 2017 donation of HK$ 15 million, that fringe benefits may be inadequate. Two trust funds established by statute in 1967 augment the benefits enjoyed by members of

5658-632: The program is to train officers in emotional resiliency and to help destigmatize mental health problems. Almost universally, police officers are authorized to use force, up to and including deadly force , when acting in a law enforcement capacity. Although most law enforcement agencies follow some variant of the use of force continuum , where officers are only authorized to use the level of force required to match situational requirements, specific thresholds and responses vary between jurisdictions . While officers are trained to avoid excessive use of force, and may be held legally accountable for infractions,

5740-740: The rank " officer " is legally reserved for military personnel. Police officers are generally charged with the apprehension of suspects and the prevention, detection, and reporting of crime , protection and assistance of the general public, and the maintenance of public order. Police officers may be sworn to an oath , and have the power to arrest people and detain them for a limited time, along with other duties and powers. Some officers are trained in special duties, such as counter-terrorism , surveillance , child protection , VIP protection , civil law enforcement , and investigation techniques into major crime including fraud , rape , murder , and drug trafficking . Although many police officers wear

5822-529: The rank of commissaire is a rank equating to somewhere in between the British police ranks of superintendent and chief superintendent . The rank above is called "divisional commissioner". This is sometimes equated to a chief superintendent, but can in some cases hold a similar function to a Deputy Chief Constable . A former intermediate rank of "principal commissioner" was abolished in 2006. The second-highest career bracket in German law enforcement leads to

5904-404: The rank of police commissioner or Kommissar . Training encompasses three years in a police academy (graduating as Diplom-Verwaltungswirt or bachelor of public administration). The highest possible rank within this career bracket is that of Erster Polizeihauptkommissar or Erster Kriminalhauptkommissar . The work of a Kommissar , in general, centers on investigation of felonies, depending on

5986-595: The required autonomy, protection, and discretion . As an example, the use of body-worn cameras has been shown to reduce both instances of misconduct and complaints against officers. Hong Kong Police High Court District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Hong Kong Police Force ( HKPF )

6068-559: The role of second-in-command of PSP divisions commanded by subintendents. The rank insignia of a commissioner consists in a dark blue epaulet with three PSP stars (silver six points stars with the "SP" monogram in the center). In the Romanian Police , similarly to the French Police (see commissaire de police ), the rank of commissioner ( comisar ) is equivalent to the British police rank of superintendent. In Spain,

6150-652: The states in Malaysia, a special status for two states. In The Malta Police Force , the commissioner of police is the head of the police department, responsible for its entire management and control. Since 2016, a chief executive officer at the Malta Police Force was appointed, to work alongside the commissioner of police to implement the Police Force Vision. In the Republic of Mauritius ,

6232-471: The statutorily entrenched Police Welfare Fund which has current assets exceeding HK$ 200 million. Attracting funds in excess of HK$ 50 million per annum, almost entirely donations, the fund trustee, the Commissioner of Police, has unfettered freedom to choose how the funds are to be expended. The Commissioner disburses the bulk of its annual expenditure in the form of cash grants to police officers and their families. A donation of HK$ 10 million by

6314-424: The uniform. Chief Inspectors have a wide black stripe fitted on their police hats. Superintendents also have a small white stripe fitted on the police hat. Senior Superintendents and Chief Superintendents have a wide white stripe on their hats, Assistant and Senior Assistant Commissioners have 1 row of silver oak leaves on the edge of their hats while Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner has 2 rows of silver oak leaves,

6396-433: The unit), along with matching cargo trousers, and a navy blue beret or a dark blue baseball-style cap. Ceremonial uniforms include either a white (similar to No.3 Warm weather ceremonial uniform ) or navy blue tunic (similar to the old winter uniform). Sword design was based on 1897 pattern British Army infantry officer's sword and used for formal occasions such as parade out or Legal Opening Day . They are fitted with

6478-436: The variability of law enforcement and its dependence on human judgment have made the subject an area of controversy and research. In the performance of their duties, police officers may act unlawfully, either deliberately or as a result of errors in judgment. Police accountability efforts strive to protect citizens and their rights by ensuring legal and effective law enforcement conduct, while affording individual officers

6560-509: The years. Currently, these include: The four serving officers' associations wield significant power, controlling half of the voting rights on the Police Force Council. Government consultations with Police Force staff are formally conducted through the council and the associations figure prominently at times of controversy. The HKPF continues to use ranks and insignia similar to those used in British police forces. Until 1997,

6642-620: Was appointed on 22 February 1844, Captain Haly of the 41st Madras Native Infantry . The formal establishment of the force was gazetted on 1 May 1844. During World War II, Japan occupied Hong Kong , and the Hong Kong Police Force was temporarily disbanded. Policing duties were assumed by the Japanese Kempeitai , with Chinese officers being forced to serve alongside and officers of other ethnicities sent to Stanley Prison . Some local Chinese were also recruited as police officers, which

6724-535: Was formerly known as chief superintendent . The rank holders assumed the responsibility of being a chief of the prefectural police force. It was lower than a senior commissioner and higher than a superintendent . The commissioner of police in Japan is equivalent to a army major general . In the Royal Malaysia Police , states of Sabah and Sarawak contingent are led by police commissioner than rest of

#180819