A Guide to Rank Structure

Police constables wear their warrant number on their shoulders, as do police sergeants
(along with their stripes). From the rank of Inspector upward shoulder numbers are
absent from epaulettes, and combinations of diamond-shaped "pips", crowns, and
wreathes with crossed staves indicate rank. Please follow the links to see examples.

Thames Valley Police uniformed ranks are in ascending order of seniority:

Police Constable Police Sergeant Inspector

Chief Inspector Superintendent Chief Superintendent

Assistant Chief Constable Deputy Chief Constable Chief Constable

All UK police officers begin their career at the rank of constable, and many choose to
remain constables. Police constables are assigned a warrant number, worn on their
shoulder epaulettes and known as their "shoulder number". Police sergeants wear their
number with chevrons indicating their rank.

The numbers allow members of the public who come into contact with police officers to
identify them definitively, although different UK police forces will have constables and
sergeants who wear the same numbers. The Metropolitan Police is such a large force
that officers wear divisional letters with their shoulder number.

CID

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers do not wear uniforms or badges of

rank, but have equivalent ranks to uniformed officers. In order of seniority, these are:

• Detective Constable (Det Con)

• Detective Sergeant (Det Sgt)
• Detective Inspector (Det Insp)
• Detective Chief Inspector (Det Ch Insp)
• Detective Superintendent (Det Supt)
• Detective Chief Superintendent (Det Ch Supt), the highest CID rank in the Force

When a CID officer wishes to be known, he or she will display their badge and warrant
card. All police officers have a warrant card which carries their photograph and certifies
their identity, the force for which they work and their entitlement to use police powers.

Special Constables

Special Constables are trained, uniformed volunteers who have the same powers,
privileges and protections as regular police officers, and wear their force's uniform. The
Special Constabulary has grades, although no special constable can exercise authority
over a regular police officer.

Please follow the links to see examples of Special Constabulary uniform. Grades used in
Thames Valley Police Special Constabulary are marked by the following insignia in
ascending order of seniority:
 Special Constable Section Officer
* Area Officer

Chief Area Officer Chief Officer

Other forces may use different titles above Section Officer, but the insignia is the same.
The Area Officer epaulette above shows an example of insignia used by the Force on
high-visibility uniform.

(PCSOs)

Police Community Support Officers are members of police staff who are employed,
managed and tasked by the police. Although they do not have full police powers, they do
have powers to help deal with anti-social behaviour. Their role is to:

• provide a uniformed, official presence in a specified area to

improve the quality of life of the community and help its
people to feel confident and reassured
• address anti-social behaviour, the fear of crime,
environmental issues (including vehicle obstruction) and
other factors which affect the quality of people’s lives.

PCSOs wear police-type uniforms, and their epaulettes show a

shoulder number and the text "Police Community Support Officer".