Chief of police

A chief of police, also known as police chief or sometimes shortened to just chief, is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include police commissioner, colonel (in the Rhode Island State Police), police superintendent, police president, and chief constable. In contrast to a sheriff (who is generally elected by the voters of a county, except in the states of Rhode Island and Hawaii), a chief of police is usually a municipal employee who owes his allegiance to a city or town. Some states have both an appointed and an elected chief of police (Louisiana). In some jurisdictions the head of the police commission is the leader of the police and holds a position analogous or similar to the one described here, in this case he is referred to as commissioner. The New York City Police Department has both a police commissioner and a chief, formerly called the chief inspector, now called the chief of department. In Louisiana, a chief of police may serve as the chief of police, marshal, and constable of a city. The fraternal organization International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is an organization that many chiefs of police are associated with.

Municipal ordinances dictate the scope of authority a chief possesses and limits them in the abilities of commanding. The following list is a general sense of the actions and responsibilities held by any chief of police.

In the province of Ontario, Canada, a chief of police must be a sworn police officer and therefore have completed training at the Ontario Police College or have served a probationary period with another recognized police force (such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Academy known as "Depot"). This requirement is legislated in the Police Services Act of Ontario. The legislation states in Section 2 that a Chief of Police is a Police Officer. Section 44.2 of the PSA defines the training requirements. There was a case in the police department of Guelph, Ontario, where a human resource manager was promoted to the position of deputy chief but was required to complete training at the OPC. The candidate is selected by a police services board.

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