Sub-Inspector is a rank used extensively in the
Indian PoliceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India; other two being the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service...
and Sri Lankan Police, which is primarily based on the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
modelMost of the police forces of the United Kingdom use a standardised set of ranks, with a slight variation in the most senior ranks for Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police. Most of the British police ranks that exist today were chosen by Home Secretary Sir...
. It was formerly used in most
British colonialThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
policeA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
forces and in certain British police forces as well. The rank usually was in charge of a police substation or assisted an
InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
.
The rank of Sub-Inspector was introduced into the
Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in the late 19th century. It did not last long, being effectively replaced by
Station SergeantStation Sergeant was a rank in the London Metropolitan Police and continues as a rank in the Hong Kong Police Force. It is also a rank used by the Australian Federal Police whilst members are attached to the International Deployment Group....
in 1890.
Sub-Inspector is a rank used extensively in the
Indian PoliceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India; other two being the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service...
and Sri Lankan Police, which is primarily based on the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
modelMost of the police forces of the United Kingdom use a standardised set of ranks, with a slight variation in the most senior ranks for Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police. Most of the British police ranks that exist today were chosen by Home Secretary Sir...
. It was formerly used in most
British colonialThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
policeA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
forces and in certain British police forces as well. The rank usually was in charge of a police substation or assisted an
InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
.
United Kingdom
The rank of Sub-Inspector was introduced into the
Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in the late 19th century. It did not last long, being effectively replaced by
Station SergeantStation Sergeant was a rank in the London Metropolitan Police and continues as a rank in the Hong Kong Police Force. It is also a rank used by the Australian Federal Police whilst members are attached to the International Deployment Group....
in 1890. Officers who already held the rank retained it, and were promoted to
InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
as soon as a vacancy arose.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Sub-Inspector was introduced into the RCMP from 1942-1960 with the insignia of one star, similar to an Army
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....
.
British South Africa Police
The rank of sub inspector was replaced after the Rhodesian Unilateral Declaration of Independence with three grades of Patrol Officer, Senior Patrol Officer and Section Leader with one, two, and three gold bars respectively.
India
A Sub-Inspector (PSI) is generally in command of a
police stationA police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.-Regional...
(with
Head ConstableHead Constable was a rank used in some British and British colonial police forces, and is still used in the Indian police.Head Constable in the Indian police is equivalent to Sergeant in police forces in other countries...
s, the equivalent of
SergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s, commanding police outposts). He is the lowest ranked officer who under Indian Police rules and regulations can file a charge sheet in court, and is usually the first investigating officer. Officers subordinate to him cannot file charge sheets, but can only investigate cases on his behalf.
A Sub-Inspector ranks above an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and below an
InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
(who usually supervises a group of police stations). Most Sub-Inspectors are directly recruited into the police and have better educational qualifications than lower-ranking police officers. In busy police stations there are also
Additional Sub-Inspectors (Addl. SI), who are generally officers who have come up through the ranks. In this case, the directly recruited Sub-Inspector in charge is referred to as the
Principal Sub-Inspector.
Specialised units such as the Central Armed Reserve Police Force, State Armed Reserve Police and Armed Battalions use the same rank, but generally these officers do not have any investigative powers. There are also specialist non-investigative officers in the Indian Police Service, such as Sub-Inspector (Band) and Sub-Inspector (Motor Transport).
The rank insignia for a Sub-Inspector is two (five point) stars, and a red and blue striped ribbon at the outer end of the shoulder straps. The Assistant Sub-Inspector will have one (five point) star, and a red and blue striped ribbon at the outer end of the shoulder straps. The rank insignia for
Principal Sub-Inspector and
Additional Sub-Inspector are one and the same.
Sri Lanka
In the
Sri Lanka Police ServiceThe Sri Lanka Police Service is the civilian national police force of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The police force has a manpower of approximately 60,000. It is responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace...
, Sub-Inspector of Police (SI) is the lowest rank of gazetted officers. The rank is above the rank of Police Sergeant Major (PSM) and below an
InspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
(IP). Generally an SI would be the Officer in Charge (OIC) of a small
police stationA police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.-Regional...
, a detachment of police personal or deputy OIC of a larger police station in a metropolitan area.
Most Sub-Inspectors are directly recruited into the police service as Probationary Sub-Inspectors for one year's training. The basic educational entry requirement is that an applicant has passed the
G.C.E Advance Level ExaminationThe Sri Lankan Advanced Level , is a General Certificate of Education qualification in Sri Lanka, conducted by the Department of Examinations of the Ministry of Education. Similar to the British Advanced Level...
. Annually certain number of Non-Gazetted Officers who have come up through the ranks are promoted to rank of SI.
The rank insignia for a Sub-Inspector is one star, similar to an Army
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....
.
Romania
In the
Romanian PoliceThe Romanian Police is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform.-Duties:The Romanian Police is responsible for:...
,
Subinspector is the lowest commissioned rank, below
Inspector, and corresponds to the former rank of Police
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....
(
see Romanian Police Ranks).
Other police forces
- Royal Hong Kong Police
- Palestine Police (pre 1948)
- Mossos d'Esquadra
Mossos d'Esquadra is the police force of Catalonia, one of the autonomous communities of Spain, along with the Policía Municipal...