A police captain is a

police rank Police ranks are a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships in police organizations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organization, and affects the culture within the police force. Police ranks, dependent on ...

in some countries, such as the United States and France and in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

By country

France

France uses the rank of ''capitaine'' for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to ''lieutenant'' and junior to ''commandant''. This rank was previously known as ''inspecteur principal'' for plain-clothed officers, and ''officier de la paix principal'' for officers in uniform.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the approximate equivalent rank of a police captain is that of

chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is use ...

United States

In most US police departments, the rank of captain is immediately above that of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

. A police captain is often the officer in charge of a precinct. In some smaller police departments, a person holding the rank of police captain may be in charge of a division (patrol division, detective division, etc.) within that department. In larger police departments, a police captain may command only one section of a precinct which is commanded by either a police major, police inspector, or the next highest rank. A police captain is considered upper-level management in most large urban police departments.

New York City

In the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

, the rank of captain is immediately below deputy inspector. Captains are usually veterans with extensive experience.

Philippines

In the Philippines, the rank of a Police Captain is equivalent to a Senior Inspector based on the original Philippine National Police rank under the Republic Act 6975. It is currently in effect since 2019.

Notable police captains

Derwin Brown Derwin Brown (June 22, 1954December 15, 2000) was an American police captain and the sheriff-elect of DeKalb County, Georgia, who was assassinated on the evening of December 15, 2000, on the orders of defeated rival Sidney Dorsey. Early life ...

George Gastlin George W. Gastlin born George Washington Gastlin (October 1, 1835 – October 2, 1895) was an American law enforcement officer and police captain, with the New York City Police Department, who founded the " Steamboat Squad" and served as its co ...

* John H. McCullagh * Maharram Seyidov *

Jacob B. Warlow Jacob B. Warlow (c. 1818 – August 27, 1890) was an American law enforcement officer, detective and police captain in the New York Police Department. A twenty-year veteran, he led police squads against rioters on the New York waterfront and later ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Captain, police Police ranks Captains