Assistant Chief Constable (
ACC) is the third highest rank in all
British territorial police forcesLaw enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
(except the
Metropolitan PoliceThe Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for policing within Greater London, excluding the 'square mile' of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police....
and
City of London PoliceThe City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple...
, in which the equivalent rank is
CommanderCommander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service...
, and
Dumfries and Galloway ConstabularyDumfries and Galloway Constabulary is the police service for the council area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. It is the smallest Police Force in the United Kingdom....
and the
Northern ConstabularyThe Northern Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for Northern Scotland, covering the council areas of Highland, Na h-Eileanan Siar , the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles, which comprise most of the Highlands and Islands area...
, which have no officers of this rank), as well as the
British Transport PoliceThe British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
,
Ministry of Defence PoliceThe Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force that is part of the Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency which was formed by the merger of the MDP and Ministry of Defence Guard Service on 1 April 2004.The MDP is a special police...
and
Civil Nuclear ConstabularyThe Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a specialist police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations and substances throughout the United Kingdom....
.
Each force has between one and five Assistant Chief Constables. They are the lowest officers at Chief Officer level, below the
Chief ConstableChief Constable is the title given to the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police, Civil Nuclear...
and
Deputy Chief ConstableDeputy Chief Constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
, and rank immediately above
Chief SuperintendentChief Superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a Chief Superintendent is senior to a Superintendent and junior to an Assistant Chief Constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, Chief...
s.
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Assistant Chief Constable (
ACC) is the third highest rank in all
British territorial police forcesLaw enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
(except the
Metropolitan PoliceThe Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for policing within Greater London, excluding the 'square mile' of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police....
and
City of London PoliceThe City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple...
, in which the equivalent rank is
CommanderCommander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service...
, and
Dumfries and Galloway ConstabularyDumfries and Galloway Constabulary is the police service for the council area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. It is the smallest Police Force in the United Kingdom....
and the
Northern ConstabularyThe Northern Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for Northern Scotland, covering the council areas of Highland, Na h-Eileanan Siar , the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles, which comprise most of the Highlands and Islands area...
, which have no officers of this rank), as well as the
British Transport PoliceThe British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
,
Ministry of Defence PoliceThe Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force that is part of the Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency which was formed by the merger of the MDP and Ministry of Defence Guard Service on 1 April 2004.The MDP is a special police...
and
Civil Nuclear ConstabularyThe Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a specialist police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations and substances throughout the United Kingdom....
.
Each force has between one and five Assistant Chief Constables. They are the lowest officers at Chief Officer level, below the
Chief ConstableChief Constable is the title given to the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police, Civil Nuclear...
and
Deputy Chief ConstableDeputy Chief Constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
, and rank immediately above
Chief SuperintendentChief Superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a Chief Superintendent is senior to a Superintendent and junior to an Assistant Chief Constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, Chief...
s. Assistant Chief Constables usually hold portfolios (e.g. for crime, operations or territorial policing). In larger forces, ACCs may be given responsibilities for policing major territories within the force area.
Senior police civilian staff (such as Directors of Finance and Resources) hold equivalent status and are generally known as Assistant Chief Officers.
Insignia
The rank badge worn by an ACC consists of crossed
tipstavesThe Tipstaff is an officer of a court. The duties of the position vary from country to country.-History:The office of the Tipstaff is thought to have been created in the 14th century. One of the earliest records of the Tipstaff was mentioned in 1570: “The Knight Marshall with all hys tippe staues”...
within a
wreathA wreath is a ring made of flowers, leaves and sometimes fruits that can be used as an ornament, hanging on a wall or door, or resting on a table. A small wreath can be also worn on the head as a form of headdress.-Symbolism:...
.
Current numbers of ACCs
- Five ACCs: Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England....
, West Midlands PoliceWest Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
- Four ACCs: British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
, Kent PoliceKent Police is the territorial police force for Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway.-Area and organisation:The force covers an area of with an approximate population of 1.647.100...
, Merseyside PoliceMerseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England.The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
, Police Service of Northern IrelandThe Police Service of Northern Ireland GC is the police service that covers Northern Ireland...
, Strathclyde PoliceStrathclyde Police is the police force for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. The Police...
, West Yorkshire PoliceWest Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
- Three ACCs: Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the Home Office police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts formed the now-defunct...
, Devon and Cornwall ConstabularyDevon and Cornwall Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly....
, Essex PoliceEssex Police is a territorial police force with responsibility for policing the county of Essex in the East of England.-Organisation:Essex Police is one of the United Kingdom's largest non-metropolitan police forces with a current strength of approximately 3600 police officers.Force Headquarters,...
, Hampshire ConstabularyHampshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern EnglandThe force area includes the cities of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth...
, Lancashire ConstabularyLancashire Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Lancashire in the North West England. The force's headquarters are at Hutton, near the city of Preston...
, Ministry of Defence PoliceThe Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force that is part of the Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency which was formed by the merger of the MDP and Ministry of Defence Guard Service on 1 April 2004.The MDP is a special police...
, Norfolk ConstabularyNorfolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the county of Norfolk in England. As of March 2009 the force had a strength of 1,668 police officers, 243 Special Constables, 277 PCSOs and just over 1,300 police staff.-History:...
, Northumbria PoliceNorthumbria Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the areas of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in England. The service is the sixth largest police constabulary in England and Wales. As of April 2005, the current Chief Constable is Mike Craik. The HQ of the service are...
, North Yorkshire PoliceNorth Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force covering the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire and the unitary authority of York in northern England. The force covers England's largest county and comprises three area command units. As of March 2009 the force had a strength of...
, South Wales PoliceSouth Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
, South Yorkshire PoliceSouth Yorkshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2 million...
, Staffordshire PoliceStaffordshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of England...
, Sussex PoliceSussex Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing East Sussex, West Sussex and City of Brighton and Hove in southern England.-History:...
, Thames Valley PoliceThames Valley Police is one of the largest Home Office police services in England and the largest non-metropolitan one, covering 2200 sq mi and a population of 2.1 million. The force is responsible for the Thames Valley area covered by the ceremonial counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and...
- Two ACCs: Bedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police, is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston...
, Cheshire Police, Cleveland PoliceCleveland Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in North East England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately 230 square miles and has a population of over 554,000....
, Cumbria ConstabularyCumbria Constabulary is the Home Office police force in England covering Cumbria. It is currently the fifth largest force in England and Wales terms of geographic area but one of the smallest in terms of officer numbers. Given the force area's size and population of just under 500,000, it is...
, Derbyshire ConstabularyDerbyshire Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the county of Derbyshire, England. The force covers an area of over with a population of just under one million.-Organisation and structure:...
, Dorset PoliceDorset Police is the Home Office police force with the responsibility of policing the English county of Dorset.51% of Dorset's 687,000 Population reside in 5% of the area, which is the conurbations of Poole and Bournemouth...
, Gloucestershire ConstabularyGloucestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire in England. ....
, Grampian PoliceGrampian Police is the police force for the north east of Scotland, covering the council areas of Aberdeenshire, City of Aberdeen and Moray . The Force area also covers the North Sea, giving Grampian Police the responsibility of policing the oil and gas platforms of the North East...
, Hertfordshire ConstabularyHertfordshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire in England. Its headquarters is situated in Welwyn Garden City...
, Humberside PoliceHumberside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing an area covering the East Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire...
, Leicestershire ConstabularyLeicestershire Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire.The current Temporary Chief Constable is Chris Eyre.-History:...
, Lincolnshire PoliceLincolnshire Police is the Home Office police force covering the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England. Despite the name, the force's area does not include North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, which are covered by Humberside Police instead.In terms of...
, Northamptonshire PoliceNorthamptonshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England.The force area amounts to and has a resident population of 642,708. The force is divided into two basic command units , Northamptonshire West and Northamptonshire...
, Nottinghamshire PoliceNottinghamshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million....
, Suffolk ConstabularySuffolk Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England.Suffolk Constabulary is responsible for policing an area of , with a population of...
, Surrey PoliceSurrey Police is the Home Office police force of the county of Surrey in the south of EnglandThe force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey.- History :...
, Warwickshire PoliceWarwickshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Warwickshire in England. It was known as Warwickshire Constabulary until 2001. It is the second smallest territorial police force in England and Wales after the City of London Police, with only 998.6 regular officers as...
, West Mercia Police, Wiltshire Police
- One ACC: Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the Home Office territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. In addition to the non-metropolitan county, the Police area includes the city of Peterborough, which became a unitary...
, Central Scotland PoliceCentral Scotland Police is the police force covering the Scottish council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire . The headquarters of the force are at Randolphfield House in Stirling....
, Civil Nuclear ConstabularyThe Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a specialist police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations and substances throughout the United Kingdom....
, Durham ConstabularyDurham Constabulary is a Home Office police force policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the unitary authority of Darlington. The force covers the 2,232 km² of the county which has a resident population of 595,308. It is one of the smaller forces of the forty-three territorial...
, Dyfed-Powys PoliceDyfed-Powys Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and the county of Powys, in Wales. The territory it covers is the largest police area in England and Wales, and the fourth largest in the United Kingdom...
, Fife ConstabularyFife Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council area of Fife.The area policed by Fife Constabulary has a resident population of just over 350,000, almost a third of whom live in one of the three principal towns of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes...
, Gwent PoliceGwent Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen in southeast Wales....
, Lothian and Borders PoliceLothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian...
, North Wales PoliceNorth Wales Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham....
, Tayside PoliceTayside Police is the police force covering the Scottish council areas of Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross...