Inspector - Definition and Overview

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

• in the San Francisco police department, Inspector is the lowest rank of detective (below sergeant). The SFPD's original rank of Inspector (which was the same as most other US police department ranks with that name) was changed to Commander, since SFPD officers preferred the more military-sounding title.

• in most other American police departments, Inspector is two grades above Captain and one grade above Deputy Inspector.

• in the UK police, Inspector is the rank senior to Sergeant and junior to Chief Inspector. (equivalent to a Lieutenant in the US police system)

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.