The police in Canada's ranks differ according to the different police forces and depend on different laws at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
The rank system of the RCMP is partly a result of their origin as a paramilitary force. Upon its founding on February 1, 1920, the RCMP adopted the rank insignia of the Canadian Army (which in turn came from the British Army), which is almost identical to that of the current Canadian Army. Like in the military, the RCMP also has a distinction between commissioned and non-commissioned officers. [1] [2] The non-commissioned ranks are mostly based on military ranks (apart from constable). Non-commissioned officer ranks above staff sergeant resemble those that formerly existed in the Canadian Army but have since been replaced by warrant officers. [3] The commissioned officer ranks, by contrast, use a set of non-military titles that are often used in Commonwealth police services. The number of higher ranks, like chief superintendent and a deputy commissioner, has been added to and increased since the formation of the force, while the lower commissioned rank of sub-inspector has been dropped.
Commissioner | Superintendent | Inspector | ||||||||||||||
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Commissioner Commissaire | Deputy commissioner Sous-commissaire | Assistant commissioner Commissaire adjoint | Chief superintendent Surintendant principal | Superintendent Surintendant | Inspector Inspecteur | |||||||||||
Slip on rank slides | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Non-commissioned officers | Constables | Depot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Corps sergeant major | Sergeant major | Staff sergeant major | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Constable | Cadet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sergent-major du corps | Sergent-major | Sergent-major d'état major | Sergent d'état-major | Sergent | Caporal | Gendarme | Cadet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Slip on rank slides | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Peace officer ranks for the Alberta Sheriffs Branch: [5]
Ranks | Chief sheriff | Deputy chief | Superintendent | Inspector | Branch sergeant major | Sergeant | Sheriff III FTO | Sheriff III | Sheriff II | Sheriff I |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No insignia | No insignia | ![]() |
Ranks [6] | Chief of police | Deputy chief | Superintendent | Inspector | Corps sergeant major | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Senior constable | Constable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia [6] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No insignia |
Ranks | Chief of police | Deputy chief | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Senior constable | Constable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No insignia |
Ranks [7] | Chief sheriff | Deputy chief | Superintendent | Staff inspector | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Deputy sheriff | Recruit sheriff |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
No traditional ranking system outside of the ceremonial unit is in place.
Rank | Chief officer | Deputy chief officer | Superintendent | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Constable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Rank [8] | Chief constable | Deputy chief constable | Superintendent | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Police constable 1st class/detective | Police constable 2nd class | Police constable 3rd class | Police constable 4th class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia [8] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Rank | Chief of police | Deputy chief of police | Superintendent | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Detective sergeant / patrol sergeant | Senior constable | Constable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is the provincial police service for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Rank | Commanding officers | Senior officers | Police officers | Officers in training | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief constable | Deputy chief | Superintendent | Inspector | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Constable | Cadet | |
Insignia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
The Office of the High Sheriff of Newfoundland and Labrador is a provincial law enforcement agency in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Founded in 1729, it is the oldest law enforcement agency in Canada.
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Source: [9]
Rank structure within the Halifax Regional Police is a standard structure similar to many other law enforcement organizations within Canada and even the United States. Starting with the highest-ranking commissioned officer within the department 'Chief of Police' all the way down to the 'Constable' not including 'Cadet', however, self-explanatory. [10]
Rank Structure | Insignia |
---|---|
Chief of Police | N/A |
Deputy Chief | N/A |
Superintendent | N/A |
Inspector | N/A |
Staff Sergeant | N/A |
Sergeant | N/A |
Constable | N/A |
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Rank structure within the Ontario Provincial Police is paramilitary or quasi-military in nature, with several "non-commissioned" ranks leading to the "officer" ranks. Detective ranks fall laterally with the uniform ranks and is not a promotion above. Police constables in the OPP are uniquely known as "provincial constables." [11]
Historic now defunct ranks:
The rank insignia of the Toronto Police Service is similar to that used by police services elsewhere in Canada and in the United Kingdom, except that the usual "pips" are replaced by maple leaves. The St. Edward's Crown is found on insignia of staff sergeant, all superintendent ranks and all commanding officer ranks. The same rank insignia are also used by the York Regional Police. [12]
Rank | Special constables | |
---|---|---|
Special constable supervisor | Special constable | |
Insignia (slip-on) | ![]() | ![]() |
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Ranks of Sûreté du Québec [13] [14] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General staff officers | Officers | Sub-Officers | Agents | |||||
Directeur general | Directeur adjoint | Inspecteur chef | Inspecteur | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sergent | Chef d'equipe | Agent |
Director general of the SQ | Associate director | Chief inspector | Inspector | Captain | Lieutenant | Sergeant | Team leader | Constable |
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Ranks and insignia of the Kativik Regional Police Force are similar to those of Sûreté du Québec.
Ranks of Kativik Regional Police | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Officers | Sub-Officers | Agents | ||||||
Chef | Chef deputé | Capitaine | Sergent | Agent | ||||
Chief | Deputy Chief | Captain | Sergeant | Constable | ||||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No insignia |
Ranks of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal : [15]
The Regina Police Service is a police force in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan that has the following ranks:
The Weyburn Police Service is a Canadian Police Service in the Province of Saskatchewan.
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The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service (NAPS) is the police agency for Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN).
The Transit Enforcement Unit (TEU; formerly known as the Special Constable Services Department) is the transit law enforcement and corporate security unit of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in Toronto.
Different Canadian auxiliary police programs use various ranks, including some of the following:
The Alberta Provincial Police was a police force active in Alberta, Canada, from 1917 until 1932.
The Newfoundland Ranger Force was the police force of the Dominion of Newfoundland before its confederation with Canada.
1870–1900 | Commissioner | Deputy commissioner | Assistant commissioner | Chief superintendent | Superintendent | Inspector | Sub-inspector |
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Other ranks | |||||
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1870s | Chief constable [17] | Staff constable [18] | Constable [17] | Sub-constable | |
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1880s–1890s | Sergeant major [19] | Staff sergeant [20] | Sergeant [21] | Corporal | Constable |
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1900s | Sergeant major | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Constable |
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