Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts.

Police

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Inspector is a rank in many police forces. However, it is not the same (equivalent) rank in each.

Canada

In most Canadian police services the rank of Inspector is the first above the sergeant ranks. It is usually immediately below the rank of Superintendent.

France

In the French National Police, Inspecteur is a former rank of members of the Command and Management Corps. There were several grades of Inspecteur, with senior detectives holding the various grades of Commissaire. See French National Police for current ranks.

India

In the police forces of India, an Inspector is a police officer ranking above a Sub-Inspector and below an Assistant Superintendent. Inspectors generally command major police stations, or a group of police stations known as a "police circle" (hence the popularly used abbreviation CI or Circle Inspector). Inspectors working in plain-clothes units can use the prefix Detective along with their ranks.

Republic of Ireland

In the Garda Síochána, Inspector is senior to Sergeant and junior to Superintendent. Inspectors can be either detectives or in uniform.

United Kingdom

In British police forces, Inspector is the rank senior to Sergeant and junior to Chief Inspector. Contrary to popular belief, inspectors are not all detectives; in fact, the majority of inspectors are uniformed. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspectors are known as Detective Inspectors (DI). Many Commonwealth police forces also use the rank. An Inspector in the United Kingdom is approximately equivalent to a Lieutenant in other police forces.

United States

In the San Francisco Police Department, Inspector is the normal rank of detective (below Sergeant). The SFPD's original rank of Inspector (which was the same as most other United States police department ranks with that name) was changed to Commander, since SFPD senior officers preferred the more military-sounding title.

In most other American police departments, such as the New York City Police Department, Inspector is two grades above a Captain (and one grade above a Deputy Inspector).

Administrative law

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In administrative law, an inspector is an official charged with the duty to issue permits, such as a building inspector or sanitation inspector, and to enforce the relevant regulations and laws. An agency may have an Inspector General responsible for preventing internal fraud, waste, abuse and other agency deficiences.

Ska band

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Inspector is a popular Spanish-language ska band.

Police ranks | Administrative law | Legal occupations | Ska groups

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