In contrast, sheriffs in the United States are usually elected officials, one in each county, who head the sheriff's department (or sheriff's office). There may be a chief of operations who is second in command to the top-ranking chief. In very large departments, such as the New York City Police Department, there may be several non-police officer deputy and assistant commissioners, some of whom outrank the chief of department and others on par with the uniformed chief. In some cities, 'commissioner' is the member of the board of officials in charge of the department, while a 'chief' is the top uniformed officer answering to the commissioner or commission. Chief of police/ commissioner of police/ superintendent/ sheriff: The title commissioner of police is used mainly by large metropolitan departments, while chief of police is associated with small and medium-sized municipalities both are typically appointed by a mayor or selected by the city council or commission.Ranks Īlthough the large and varied number of federal, state, and local police and sheriff's departments have different ranks, a general model, from highest to lowest rank, would be:
A uniform system of insignia based on that of the US Army and Marine Corps is used to help identify an officer's seniority. The United States police-rank model is generally quasi-military in structure. Structure of status and authority among police units in the USA Law enforcement
