How to identify the designation of a police officer in a few seconds?
The term ‘Police’ often creates an alarming state in many of our minds, needless to say, without any reason at all. For most of us, every law enforcement officer wearing a uniform is ‘Police’, taking advantage of which, most of them often tend to exploit the general public, the latter too gets trapped being unaware of the former’s designation and the fact that not every officer is vested with every power. You will soon realize how effortless identifying and differentiating the designation of any police officer is, just by a glance on their uniform. In the present blog post, we shall learn the same.
There are different symbolic recognition(Insignia) awarded to different designations in police cadre. These are in forms of stars, badges, flags etc. We shall start identifying the designations from the lowest rank to the highest.
1. CONSTABLE: A Constable is the lowest rank in the Police department. They have a blank shoulder strip with the state’s name below and a round cap, except for Maharashtra Police department’s Constables who wear a Gandhian style cap instead of around one.
2. SENIOR CONSTABLE: A Senior Constable has two V-shaped red/white/yellow(depending on the state) colour lines on either sleeve of their uniform with the state’s name below and a round cap.
However, in the State of Maharashtra, the two lines are on the shoulder strap and are of yellow colour, with the state’s name below and Gandhi cap.
3. HEAD CONSTABLE: A Head Constable has three V-shaped red/white/yellow(depending on the state) lines on either sleeve of their uniform with the state’s name below and a round cap.
However, in the State of Maharashtra, the three lines are on the shoulder strap and are of yellow colour, with the state’s name below and a Gandhi cap.
4. Assistant Sub-Inspector: An Assistant Sub Inspector has a star (yellow coloured) on the shoulder strap, a red and blue stripe below it, and the name of the state below it.
5. Sub- Inspector: An Assistant Sub Inspector has two stars(yellow coloured) on the shoulder strap, a red and blue strip below it, and the name of the state below it.
6. INSPECTOR: An Inspector has three stars (yellow coloured) on the shoulder strap, a red and blue stripe below it, and the name of the state below it.
7. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE: A Deputy Superintendent of Police has three stars (white coloured) on the shoulder strap, and the name of the state below it. Notice, there is no red and blue stripe for the designations such as this and above.
The same badge is for Assistant Commissioner of Police. The post of an ACP exists only in metro cities because the concept of the designation of Commissioners is mostly for metro cities.
8.Assistant superintendent of police: In the first year of training he has a star and I.P.S wrote Below it.
In the second year of training, he has two stars and I.P.S wrote written below it.
In the third year of training, he has three stars and I.P.S wrote on it.
After training.
9. Additional Superintendent of Police: He has an Ashok Emblem and I.P.S written below it.
10. Superintendent of Police: He has an Ashok Emblem, a star and I.P.S written below it.
11. Senior Superintendent of Police: SSP: A SSP has an Ashok Emblem, two stars (white coloured) and I.P.S written below it.
The same badge is for Deputy Commissioner of police. The post of an ACP exists only in metro cities because the concept of the designation of Commissioners is mostly for metro cities.
12. Deputy Inspector General of Police: A DIG has an Ashok Emblem, three stars(white coloured) and I.P.S written below it. A DIG’S official vehicle has one star and triangular flag(red and blue)
13. Inspector General of Police: An IGP has a star, a criss-cross of a sword and a stick and I.P.S written below it. An IGP’S official vehicle has two stars and a flag(red and blue)
14. Additional Director-General of Police has an Ashok Emblem, a criss-cross of a sword and a stick and I.P.S written below it. His official vehicle has three stars and a rectangular flag(red and blue).
15. Director General of Police: A Director General of Police has an Ashok Emblem, a criss-cross of a sword and a stick and I.P.S written below it. His official vehicle also has three stars and a rectangular flag(red and blue).