Australian police ranks

Australian police ranks and insignia are loosely based on the ranks of the United Kingdom police forces and differ between state and territory forces. Ranks listed here descend in seniority from left to right.

Current ranks

edit
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  New South Wales
Police Force
[1]
                                 
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Senior
assistant
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief
superintendent
Superintendent Chief
inspector
Inspector Senior
sergeant
Incremental
sergeant
Sergeant Leading
senior
constable
Incremental
senior
constable
Senior
constable
Constable Probationary constable Policing student
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  Victoria Police[2]
2010–present
                             
Chief
commissioner
Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Chief
superintendent
[note 1]
Superintendent Chief
inspector[note 2]
Inspector Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Leading
senior
constable
Senior
constable
First
constable[3]
Constable Probationary constable
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  Queensland Police Service[4]
2019–present
                             
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief
superintendent
Superintendent Chief inspector (title, not rank) Inspector Senior sergeant – with recognition of service[note 3] Senior
Sergeant
Sergeant – with recognition of service[note 3] Sergeant Leading senior constable (title, not rank) Senior constable – with recognition of service[note 3] Senior
constable
Constable
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  South Australia Police[5]                                  
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Chief
superintendent
Superintendent Chief
inspector
Inspector Senior
sergeant
first class
Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Brevet
sergeant
Senior
constable
first class
Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Probationary
constable
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  Western Australia Police[6]
2009–present
                     
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Superintendent Inspector Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  Tasmania Police[7]                      
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Inspector Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
qualified
Senior
constable
First
class
constable
Constable
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Student
  Northern Territory Police[8][9]
2019–present
                 
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Superintendent Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable Recruit
  Australian Federal Police
(ACT Policing)
[10][11]
                       
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner[note 4]
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Leading
senior
constable
Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Police
recruit
Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Supervisor Officer Assistant officer
  Australian Border Force                          
Commissioner of the ABF Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Border Force chief superintendent Border Force superintendent Border Force inspector Border Force supervisor Senior Border Force officer Leading Border Force officer Border Force officer Assistant Border Force officer (level 2) Assistant Border Force officer (level 1)

Former ranks

edit

Federal

edit
Name Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable
  Commonwealth Police[12]
1917–1979
COMPOL
No equivalent   No equivalent     No equivalent   No equivalent    
Assistant
commissioner
Chief superintendent Senior superintendent Superintendent Chief inspector Senior inspector Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Police
recruit
  ACT Policing[12]
1917–1979
ACTPol
No equivalent   No equivalent         No equivalent    
Deputy commissioner Superintendent Senior inspector Inspector first-class Inspector second-class Sergeant first-class Sergeant second-class Sergeant third-class Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Police
recruit
  Federal Police
(ACT Policing)
[12][13]

1979–1990

AFP (ACTPol)
      No equivalent         No equivalent    
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner[note 5]
Chief superintendent Superintendent Chief inspector Inspector Station sergeant[note 6] Senior sergeant Sergeant Constable
first class
Constable Police
recruit
  Federal Police
(ACT Policing)
[14][15]
1990–2019
AFP (ACTPol)
        No equivalent   No equivalent   No equivalent            
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner[note 7]
Commander Superintendent Station sergeant[note 8] Sergeant Leading
senior
constable
Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Police
recruit

Victoria

edit
Name Commissioner Commander Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable
  Victoria Police[13]
circa 1984
                       
Chief
commissioner
Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Chief superintendent Superintendent Chief inspector Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
  Victoria Police
2003–2010
                         
Chief
commissioner
Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Chief superintendent Superintendent Chief inspector Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant Senior
constable
Reservist Constable

Queensland

edit
Name Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable
  Queensland Police Service[16]
1975–1978
          No equivalent         No equivalent      
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief superintendent Superintendent Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant first class Sergeant second class Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable
  Queensland Police Service[13][17]
1978–1991
                               
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Superintendent first class Superintendent second class Superintendent third class Inspector first class Inspector second class Inspector third class Senior sergeant Sergeant first class Sergeant second class Sergeant third class Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable
  Queensland Police Service[13][18]
1991–1997
          No equivalent     No equivalent   No equivalent      
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief superintendent Superintendent Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
(18 months of service)
Constable
  Queensland Police Service[13][19]
1997–2001
          No equivalent         No equivalent      
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief superintendent Superintendent Inspector Senior sergeant Sergeant first class Sergeant second class Senior
constable
Constable
  Queensland Police Service[20][21]
2002–2019
          No equivalent     No equivalent   No equivalent      
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Chief
superintendent
Superintendent Inspector Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
(5 years)
Constable

Northern Territory

edit
Name Commissioner Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Constable
  Northern Territory Police[13]
1984
      No equivalent                    
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Superintendent Chief inspector Inspector Sergeant first class Sergeant second class Sergeant third class Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Constable Recruit
constable
  Northern Territory Police[22]
1984–2012
          No equivalent   No equivalent       No equivalent  
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Superintendent Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Recruit
constable
  Northern Territory Police[8]
2012–2019
          No equivalent   No equivalent       No equivalent  
Commissioner Deputy
commissioner
Assistant
commissioner
Commander Superintendent Senior
sergeant
Sergeant Senior
constable
Constable
first class
Recruit
constable

Notes

edit
  1. ^ The ranks of Chief Inspector and Chief Superintendent are no longer used or promotable.
  2. ^ The ranks of Chief Inspector and Chief Superintendent are no longer used or promotable.
  3. ^ a b c The 'Recognition of service' tab for each rank is not a separate rank with the Queensland Police Service, rather simply a means of highlighting the wearer's experience at that level
  4. ^ Chief of ACT Policing
  5. ^ Chief of ACT Policing
  6. ^ Sergeant in specific roles as determined by the Commissioner
  7. ^ Chief of ACT Policing
  8. ^ Sergeant in specific roles as determined by the Commissioner

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rank Insignia – NSW Police Force". New South Wales Police Force. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  2. ^ "Victoria Police – Insignia of Police Ranks". VicNews - The Victorian Scanning News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  3. ^ "First Constable (63/11)". Archived from the original on 5 February 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  4. ^ "QPS Ranks". www.police.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ^ "South Australia Police - Rank Insignia". The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia Around the World. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  6. ^ "Western Australia Police - Rank Insignia". Western Australia Police. Archived from the original on 6 January 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  7. ^ "Tasmania Police – Rank Insignia and Title". Tasmania Police. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  8. ^ a b "New NT Police Uniform – Alice Springs and Southern Region Command". NT Police, Fire, and Emergency Services. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Graduating officer Liam Devine with NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw". ABC. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  10. ^ "AFP National Guidelines on Uniform and Standards of Dress". CiteSeerX 10.1.1.738.8340.
  11. ^ "Inspector title returns to ACT Policing". 29 May 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Regulations Under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979". 10 October 1979. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Swanton, Bruce; Hannigan, Garry (1985). Police Source Book 2 (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. p. 181. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  14. ^ "AFP National Guidelines on Uniform and Standards of Dress". CiteSeerX 10.1.1.738.8340.
  15. ^ "Inspector title returns to ACT Policing". 29 May 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Queensland Police 1975–1978". Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Queensland Police 1978–1991". Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  18. ^ "Queensland Police 1991–1997". Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Queensland Police 1997–2001". Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Queensland Police 2002". Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  21. ^ Queensland Police Service (16 August 2019). "Rank insignia". police.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Insignia, Patches and Badges – NT Police Museum". sites.google.com. Retrieved 13 May 2016.