An inspector-general of police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most senior officer of the entire national police.
Bangladesh

In
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, the
Bangladesh Inspector General of Police heads the
Bangladesh Police.
Ghana
In
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
,
Inspector General of Police is the title of the head of the
Ghana Police Service.
India

During the
British Colonial era, the British Parliament introduced the
Indian Councils Act 1861 in India.
The act created a new cadre of police, called Superior Police Services, later known as the
Indian Imperial Police.
The highest rank in the service was the Inspector General.
This rank is equivalent to Joint Commissioner of police in metropolitan areas.
Currently, in modern
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, an inspector-general of police (IGP) is an officer from
Indian Police Service (IPS). In a state, an IGP holds the third-highest rank in the hierarchy, just below the rank of
additional director general of police (ADG) and above
deputy inspector general of police (DIG). Inspector General (IG) is a two star rank in
Indian Police Service. Officers at this rank typically have over 15 years of service and are entrusted with supervising police operations over a zone, which may comprise multiple police districts, or heading specialized units such as
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
, training, or crime branches.
IGP-ranked officers wear
gorget patches on their collars. Although it has a dark blue background which is similar to DIGs and SSPs, an oak leaf pattern is stitched on the patch; unlike DIGs and SSPs, which have a white line stitched on the patch.
Indonesia
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, an inspector-general of police (''inspektur jenderal polisi'' or abbreviated irjen (pol)) holds the
third-highest rank of the
Indonesian National Police (equivalent to a
major general in the
Indonesian National Armed Forces
The Indonesian National Armed Forces (; abbreviated as TNI) are the military forces of the Republic of Indonesia. It consists of the Indonesian Army, Army (''TNI-AD''), Indonesian Navy, Navy (''TNI-AL''), and Indonesian Air Force, Air Force ('' ...
). Usually, police with rank inspector-general of police became a chief of regional police department with type-A classification (capital city, strategic and major/densely populated provinces), chief of divisions, special staff to the
chief of national police, or deputy head of any agency under the police's territory.
Kenya
In
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, the
inspector-general of police
An inspector-general of police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most ...
is the senior most police officer, who has the overall command of the
Kenya National Police Service. In the event of a vacancy arising, the procedure for appointment of the inspector-general is:
* within 14 days the
National Police Service Commission (hereafter "the commission"), by notice in the
gazette
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
and at least two other daily newspapers of national circulation, declares the vacancy, and requests for applications;
* the commission conducts public interviews and shortlists at least three persons qualified for the position which are then published in the Gazette;
* within seven days from shortlisting, the commission forwards the shortlisted names to the
president for nomination;
* within seven days of receipt of the names, the president nominates a person for appointment and submits the name of the nominee to
parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for approval;
* within fourteen days thereafter, parliament vets and considers the nominee, and either approves or rejects the nomination;
* parliament notifies the president as to its approval or rejection;
* if parliament approves the nominee, within seven days of receiving the notification the president, by notice in the gazette, appoints the nominee as the inspector-general of the National Police Service .
* where parliament rejects the nominee submitted by the president, the
speaker of the National Assembly communicates its decision to the president and requests a fresh nominee.
* in submitting a new nominee, within seven days the president submits to parliament a fresh nomination from among the persons shortlisted and forwarded by the commission.
The IG is charged with the overall administrative management of the police force, exercises independent command over the National Police Service and performs any other functions prescribed by national legislation. Consequently, the inspector-general reports directly to the president and is also a member of the National Security Council, chaired by the president. Under the IG are two
deputy inspectors-general who command the Kenya Police Service and the
Administration Police Service respectively. The inspector-general is appointed for a single four-year term, and is not eligible for re-appointment. The inspector-general may be removed from office by the president only on the grounds of:
* serious violation of the
constitution of Kenya
The Constitution of Kenya is the supreme law of the Republic of Kenya. There have been three significant versions of the constitution, with the most recent redraft being enabled in 2010. The constitution was presented to the Attorney General ...
or any other law, including a contravention of chapter six of the constitution;
* gross misconduct whether in the performance of the office holder’s functions or otherwise;
* physical or mental incapacity to perform the functions of office;
* incompetence;
* bankruptcy; or
* any other just cause.
Malawi
In
Malawi
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
, the inspector-general of police is the head of the
Malawi Police Service. S/he is appointed by the President and confirmed by the National Assembly by a majority vote. In the exercise of his/her powers the Inspector General is accountable to the Minister responsible for Police.
Malaysia
In
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, the Inspector-General of Police heads the
Royal Malaysia Police.
Nepal
The
Inspector General of Police is the highest-ranking officer in the Nepal Police, tasked with leading and managing the police force throughout the country. The position is crucial in maintaining law and order, implementing policing strategies, and ensuring public safety across Nepal.
The IGP is appointed by the Government of Nepal, typically from among the senior-most Additional Inspector Generals of Police (AIGs). The selection is based on factors such as merit, seniority, and the officer's professional track record. The tenure of the IGP is usually four years, though it may vary depending on governmental decisions or the officer's retirement age.
Deepak Thapa is current Inspector General of Nepal Police. The position of IGP has been held by various distinguished officers, each contributing to the development and modernization of the Nepal Police. The Inspector General of Police is a pivotal figure in shaping the effectiveness of the Nepal Police, ensuring the enforcement of the law, and maintaining public trust in the security services of Nepal.
Nigeria
An inspector-general of police heads the
Nigeria Police Force
The Nigeria Police Force is the principal law enforcement and the lead security agency in Nigeria. It was designated by the 1999 constitution as the national police of Nigeria, with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country. As at 2021, i ...
.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the inspector general of police heads the police force of a province. The IGP is appointed at
Grade BS 22/21. The inspector general of police (IGP) is a
Police Service of Pakistan officer, appointed by the federal government with consent of provincial chief minister. The rank insignia is the national emblem or one pip above a crossed sword and baton worn on shoulder flashes.
Sierra Leone
In
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
the inspector general of police is the head of the
Sierra Leone Police force nationally, which is one of the oldest continuously operational police services in Africa. The inspector general is assisted by a deputy Iinspector general, and several assistant inspectors general.
[Senior team members liste]
here
on the official website of the police.
Sri Lanka
In
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, the
Inspector General of Police heads the
Sri Lanka Police Service.
Tanzania
The
inspector general of police is the highest rank in the
Tanzania Police Force.
Uganda
The inspector general of police is the highest rank in the
Uganda Police Force. Since 2001, the position has been held by a two-star
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
of the
Uganda People's Defense Force.
United Kingdom
In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, the chief officer of the former
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the ...
(now replaced by the
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland.
It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
) was titled inspector general until 1970, when following a review the post was renamed
chief constable.
References
{{reflist
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
Police ranks of India
Inspector General
Two-star officers
Police ranks of Sri Lanka