Chief Inspector 1241986 216471126 2008-06-01T20:26:21Z Necrothesp 64853 /* Romania */ {{Globalize/UK}} '''Chief Inspector''' ('''Ch Insp''') is a [[UK police ranks|rank]] used in [[police]] forces which follow the [[British police|British]] model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as '''Chief Inspector of Police''' ('''CIP'''). ==United Kingdom== In the British police, a Chief Inspector is senior to an [[Inspector]] and junior to a [[Superintendent (police)|Superintendent]]. It is approximately equivalent to the rank of [[Captain]] in [[United States]] [[police]] forces. Today, the function of Chief Inspectors varies from force to force. They may assist [[Basic Command Unit]] (BCU) commanders, command smaller units, or fill various staff posts. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) is usually the minimum rank held by a [[Senior Investigating Officer]] (SIO), who heads major investigations (into [[murder]], for example), and a pool of these officers usually works out of force headquarters or major [[police station]]s. The senior Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer in each BCU usually also holds this rank. The rank badge of a Chief Inspector is three stars ("pips") worn on the [[epaulette]]s. This is the same badge as a [[Captain]] in the [[British Army]]. Until 1953, Chief Inspectors in the Metropolitan Police wore a crown instead. Chief Inspector was one of the ranks proposed for abolition in the 1994 [[Sheehy Report]], but in the end it was retained. ===Metropolitan Police=== The rank was first introduced into the [[Metropolitan Police]] in 1868 and was first used by [[Adolphus Williamson]], the first head of the Detective Branch (later the [[Criminal Investigation Department]]). When Williamson was promoted to [[Superintendent (police)|Superintendent]] shortly afterwards, three of his [[Inspector]]s 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 the [[Police division|Division]]al 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 the [[Divisional Detective Inspector]]). From 1949, [[Sub-Divisional Inspector]]s 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 new rank of Chief Inspector was created. 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.<ref>Report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for the Year 1953</ref> A Detective Chief Inspector was added in each division later in 1954.<ref>Report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for the Year 1954</ref> ===Salary=== A Chief Inspector's starting salary is £42,264 and £44,118 if serving in London. After three years at this point it increases to £48,705 and goes up to £50,568 if serving in London. Officers who have been at this point for a year have access to the competence related threshold payment of £1,095 a year.<ref>[http://www.police-information.co.uk/policepay.htm Police Pay Scales]</ref> ==Hong Kong== [[Image:S-GOVT-HKPF-INS-CIP.gif|frame|Rank insignia of a CIP in the HKPF]] In the [[Hong Kong Police Force]], a Chief Inspector is normally the second-in-command of a headquarters unit or a [[Police division|division]]. ==Romania== In the [[Romanian Police#Ranks|Romanian Police]], '''Inspector principal''' is a rank senior to [[Inspector#Romania|Inspector]] and junior to ''Subcomisar'' and corresponds to the former rank of Police [[Captain]]. ==Singapore== The rank has been abolished by the [[Singapore Police Force]], although it is still retained by the [[Gurkha Contingent]]. == Famous fictional examples == * DCI [[Inspector Morse|Morse]] of the [[Colin Dexter]] novels and the ''[[Inspector Morse]]'' television series * DCI [[Tom Barnaby]] of the [[Caroline Graham]] novels and the ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' television series * DCI [[Gene Hunt]] of the television series ''[[Life on Mars (TV Series)|Life on Mars]]'' (set in 1973) and ''[[Ashes to Ashes (TV series)|Ashes to Ashes]]'' (set in 1981) * DCI [[Sam Tyler]] of ''Life on Mars'' (although when he awakes in 1973 he is a DI, in 2006 he holds the rank of DCI) * DCI (later Detective Superintendent) Jane Tennison of the ''[[Prime Suspect]]'' television series * DCI [[Chief Inspector Japp|James Japp]] of the [[Agatha Christie]] [[Hercule Poirot]] novels and the television series ''[[Agatha Christie's Poirot]]'' * DCI [[Jack Meadows]] of the TV series ''[[The Bill]]'' ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} {{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}} [[Category:Police organisation in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Police ranks]] [[it:Ispettore capo]]