Constable

:For the painter see John Constable. For the city in New York, see Constable, New York.

United Kingdom/Commonwealth Nations

A constable is a police officer in Britain and most countries with a British colonial history (now mostly members of the Commonwealth of Nations). This gives rise to the alternative name of Constabulary for the police force.

Related Topics:
Constable - Police - Britain - Colonial - Commonwealth of Nations - Constabulary

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Technically, every sworn police officer in these countries is a constable, since it is from this office that they derive their powers, but in general usage it refers to a police officer without any other rank.

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In British law and similar legal systems, a Constable has the legal powers of arrest given to him or her directly by a sworn oath and warrant, rather than being delegated powers that he or she has simply because of employment as a police officer. Technically this means that each sworn constable is an independent legal official rather than simply an employee of the police.

Related Topics:
Law - Legal system - Arrest - Oath - Warrant

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The rank of Senior Constable can sometimes mean the head of the police force in an area, but this is not the case in the UK. The Chief Constable is the title of the head of all British police forces except the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police, which are headed by Commissioners.

Related Topics:
Chief Constable - Metropolitan Police - City of London Police - Commissioner

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Other British police ranks (outside the London forces) include:

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• Chief Constable
• Deputy Chief Constable
• Assistant Chief Constable
• Chief Superintendent
• Superintendent
• Chief Inspector
• Inspector
• Sergeant
• Police Constable (PC)

The additional identification prefix of Detective is added to the ranks of members of the Criminal Investigation Departments and Special Branches up to Chief Superintendent (e.g. Detective Chief Inspector, Detective Constable, etc).

Related Topics:
Criminal Investigation Department - Special Branch

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Every officer still only has the powers of constable, no matter what his rank. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has exactly the same police powers as an ordinary constable. Section 30 of the Police Act 1996 says that "A member of a police force shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable throughout England and Wales and the adjacent United Kingdom waters". By agreement, however, these powers are only generally exercised within the officer's own force area and the immediately surrounding force areas (except in an emergency).

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A Special Constable is a volunteer Police Officer, with the same powers as a regular officer. The main role of a 'Special' is to work with the local Constabulary to provide a heightened police presence on the streets and in the local community. They may also be requested to police particular events such as football matches and community events.

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Head Constable is the title for a Police Sergeant in some Commonwealth police forces and was also the title of some British police force chiefs until police ranks were standardised.

Related Topics:
Sergeant - British police

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