Station Sergeant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Station Sergeant was a rank in the London Metropolitan Police and continues as a rank in the Hong Kong Police Force. It is also a rank used by the Australian Federal Police whilst members are attached to the International Deployment Group.

[edit] Australian Federal Police

Whilst on deployment in peacekeeping operations members of the Australian Federal Police are appointed to the ranks of Senior Sergeant (three chevrons below a crown which is surrounded by a laurel leaf), Station Sergeant (a crown surrounded by a laurel leaf), Superintendent (a pip and a crown), or Commander (three pips and crown).

Station Sergeants serve as Team Leader and senior NCO.

[edit] Metropolitan Police

The Station Sergeant, or Station Police Sergeant (SPS), was the senior Sergeant in a police station. He either acted as the Station Inspector's deputy or commanded a smaller station that had no Inspector. The insignia was a crown over three chevrons.

The rank was officially introduced in 1890 to replace the short-lived rank of Sub-Inspector, although the term had been used unofficially before that time. Officers who already held the rank of Sub-Inspector retained it, however. In 1890, a Station Sergeant's pay started at 45 shillings a week (a Sergeant's maximum pay was 40 shillings a week), rising by an annual increment of 1 shilling a week to 48 shillings a week.

The Criminal Investigation Department equivalent was the First Class Detective Sergeant, who was in charge of the allocation of cases to the detectives in each division.

Originally, Station Sergeant was a mandatory step between Sergeant and Inspector, but later it became common to miss out the rank entirely and it became more of a reward for long-serving Sergeants who did not wish to be promoted to Inspector.

No further promotions to the ranks of Station Sergeant and First Class Detective Sergeant were made after 1973. The last officer to hold the rank was Station Sergeant William Palmer, who retired in 1980.

Probably the most famous Station Sergeant was the fictional George Dixon in the long-running television series Dixon of Dock Green.

[edit] Hong Kong Police

In the Hong Kong Police Force, the rank of Station Sergeant is senior to Sergeant but junior to Inspector. A Station Sergeant is required to have served three years at the rank of Sergeant and be recommended by a selection board before being promoted to the higher rank. Station Sergeant is the highest non-commissioned rank in the Hong Kong Police Force. To progress to the rank of Inspector, a Station Sergeant must undergo the same application process as other, junior officers. The rank badge of a Station Sergeant is the Hong Kong Police badge surrounded by a wreath worn in the centre of the shoulder strap.