Ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department

This is the comprehensive list and description for all of the police ranks within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and all known rank holders in the Major Crimes Universe.

Ranks at a glance:

Senior ranks	Insignia
Chief of Police
Assistant Chief
Deputy Chief
Commander
Captain
Lieutenant

Police Officers	Insignia	Detectives	Insignia
Sergeant II		Detective III
Sergeant I		Detective II
		Detective I
Police Officer III+1
Police Officer III
Police Officer I & II	N/A

Terminology

Organization

• Department: the Los Angeles Police Department.

• Office: a functional office under the direction of the Chief of Police.

• Bureau: a major segregation, either functional or geographical, of kindred phases of activities within the department.

• Group: a functional segregation of activities and/or an assembling of two or more divisions or sections within an office or a bureau.

• Area: a geographic subdivision of an operations bureau.

• Division: a functional subdivision of activities within an office, bureau, group, or area.

• Section: a major activity within an office, bureau, group, area, or division.

• Unit: a specific activity within an area, division, or section.

• Detail: a specific assignment or a duty.

• Line command: the exercise of the authority of command delegated by the Chief of Police to his or her immediate subordinates, and by them to their subordinates, down the lines of direct command to the lowest level of authority.

• Staff responsibility: the responsibility given to a staff officer for developing and recommending policies and procedures affecting those functions under their command.

Supervisors

• Director: commanding officer of an Office.

• Staff Officer: Any rank above Captain.

• Commanding Officer: Any officer who is in charge of a bureau, group, geographical area, or a division.

• Officer-in-Charge: Any officer who is in charge of a section, unit, or detail.

• Supervisor: Any officer who is engaged in field supervision or in general supervision of a division, section or unit.

• Incident Commander: Any officer who takes command at an emergency situation, crime scene, or who is in command at planned special events.

• Watch Commander: An officer who is in charge of a specific watch within a division or geographical area. Tours of duty shall be known as watches, the hours of which shall be set by respective commanding officers in accordance with predetermined needs. Geographical areas have generally four primary watches: AM1 (00:00–05:59), AM2 (06:00–11:59), PM1 (12:00–17:59), and PM2 (18:00–23:59).

Senior Ranks

Chief of Police

Badge

The Chief of Police (COP), colloquially referred to as just "Chief", is the highest-ranking officer in the department. The Chief of Police directs, plans, and coordinates the enforcement of laws for the purpose of protecting persons and property, and for the preservation of the peace in the community.

The Chief is generally selected from within the department and the appointee should have a college degree and at least 12 years of law enforcement experience. The Chief is appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and the appointment is ratified by the Los Angeles City Council. The Chief of Police can serve a maximum of two five-year terms.

	Edward Thompson is the Chief of Police during The Closer, Seasons 1–6. After Thompson retired in Season 6, Thomas Delk was promoted to Chief of Police.
	Thomas Delk is the Chief of Police during The Closer, Seasons 6–7. Tragically, Delk died of a brain aneurysm after only 10 months in office. He served previously as the Deputy Chief in charge of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau.
	William Pope is the Interim Chief of Police during The Closer, Season 7. Pope was officially appointed as the Chief of Police for the beginning of Major Crimes. Pope served previously as the Assistant Chief of Operations.

Assistant Chief

Badge

Assistant Chief (Asst. Chief), colloquially referred to as just "Chief", is the commanding officer of an office. Assistant Chiefs are officially titled as Director of their office.

In the Major Crimes Universe, there are currently two Assistant Chiefs:

• Director, Office of Operations (Assistant Chief of Operations)
• Director, Office of Support Services (Assistant Chief of Support Services)

Additionally, the Assistant Chief of Operations is designated as the First Assistant Chief. Unless directed otherwise by the Chief of Police or the Police Commission, the First Assistant Chief will assume command of the department during an authorized absence of the Chief of Police. The Assistant Chief of Operations is most likely chosen to be in that position because they already oversee most of the department's personnel and as such, they are the most qualified person to lead the department during the Chief's absences.

	William Pope is the Assistant Chief of Operations during The Closer. In Season 7, Pope was appointed as the Interim Chief of Police but served concurrently as the Assistant Chief of Operations for budget reasons. Pope was confirmed as the new Chief for the beginning of Major Crimes.
	Russell Taylor is the Assistant Chief of Operations during Major Crimes until his death in “White Lies, Part 1” of Season 5. Before his promotion to Assistant Chief, Taylor served as the Office of Operations' Operations Coordinator at the rank of Commander.
	Leo Mason is the Assistant Chief of Operations during Major Crimes, Season 6. During Major Crimes, Season 5, before his promotion to Assistant Chief, Mason served as the Commanding Officer of the Criminal Intelligence Division at the rank of Commander.

Deputy Chief

Badge

Deputy Chief (Dep. Chief), colloquially referred to as just "Chief", is typically assigned as a commanding officer of a bureau. In the Major Crimes Universe, some Deputy Chiefs may also be assigned as the Assistant to the Director of an office or as the commanding officer of a specialized division.

Bureau commanding officers shall exercise line command over the employees of their assigned bureaus. In addition, they shall assume staff responsibility over all matters relating to, or concerned with, the fulfillment of the functions of their assigned bureaus. A Deputy Chief represents the LAPD at community and business meetings to promote the LAPD's missions and goals in order to foster mutual trust between the community and the LAPD.

Deputy Chiefs are promoted from the ranks of Captain or Commander after one year of experience in the previous rank. Deputy Chief is also the first rank where a person from outside of the department can be hired, aside from starting out as a rookie police officer, although outside hires straight to Deputy Chief are very rare in the real LAPD.

	Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson is the Commanding Officer of the Major Crimes Division during The Closer. At the end of The Closer, she retired from the LAPD to become the Chief of the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation.
	Deputy Chief Thomas Delk was the Commanding Officer of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau during The Closer, Season 6. Delk was later appointed as the Chief of Police.
	Deputy Chief Fritz Howard is the Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Bureau during Major Crimes from Season 3, “Sweet Revenge” onward. Before his appointment as Deputy Chief, Howard was a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
	Deputy Chief Winnie Davis is the Assistant to the Director of Operations during Major Crimes, Season 5.

Commander

Badge

Commander (Cmdr.) is typically assigned as an assistant commanding officer of a bureau. Some Commanders may also be assigned as the commanding officer of a specialized group or division within the department.

The duties of the Commander are dependent upon his/her assignment to a specific bureau and may include: overseeing and directing the activities of patrol officers within geographic areas; coordinating detectives' investigative efforts within the City; and, exercising functional supervision over officers engaged in specialized enforcement functions.

In addition, the Commander maintains contact with civic leaders and community groups within their geographic bureaus to promote the goals and missions of the LAPD. Also, the Commander is responsible for ensuring compliance with LAPD policies and procedures by personnel under his/her supervision; conducting audits of operations; and, making recommendations to higher management for improving productivity and increasing efficiency. Further, the Commander may act as a Department Commander, a staff level officer assigned to oversee night-time operations citywide.

Commanders are promoted from the rank of Captain after passing the Commander's examination and interview.

	Commander Russell Taylor was the Commanding Officer of the Robbery-Homicide Division during The Closer, Seasons 2–4. In Season 4, Taylor was transferred to be the Office of Operations' Operations Coordinator. Taylor was promoted to Assistant Chief of Operations for the beginning of Major Crimes.
	Commander Ann McGinnis is the Assistant Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Bureau during Major Crimes.
	Commander Leo Mason was the Commanding Officer of the Criminal Intelligence Division during Major Crimes, Season 5. Mason was promoted to Assistant Chief of Operations in the Season 5 finale, “Shockwave, Part 2”.
	Commander Sharon Raydor is the Commanding Officer of the Major Crimes Division on Major Crimes, Season 6, until her death in “Conspiracy Theory, Part 4”.

Captain

Badge

Captains (Capt.) act as divisional commanding officers within the department. The rank of Captain is divided into three pay grades (I–III). Upgrades between pay grades require only an interview, but at each pay grade level they assume a more complex and difficult level of responsibility within his or her assignment.

• Captain I is usually the commanding officer of a geographical patrol division.
• Captain II is usually the commanding officer of a specialized division or, in some cases, the assistant commanding officer of a large specialized division (e.g. Metropolitan Division).
• Captain III is usually the commanding officer of a geographical area or specialized division.

As a commanding officer of a patrol or detective division, the Captain is responsible for the following duties: inspecting and overseeing the functions of the patrol officers and detectives to ensure compliance with the department policies, procedures, regulations and standards; supervising the administrative and support functions of non-sworn personnel; inspecting personnel, facilities, and tactics for safety and/or training needs; maintaining liaison with numerous municipal, government, civic organizations, and private citizens to establish and maintain rapport to facilitate department's functions and to promote neighborhood safety and community policing programs.

In addition to carrying out the aforementioned duties, Captains assigned to specialized divisions are responsible for unique duties characteristic of the division. Captains perform administrative duties such as reviewing correspondence, budget requests, and activity reports; and interviewing and hiring sworn and civilian personnel to their division.

Captains are promoted from the rank of Lieutenant after passing the Captain's examination and interview, and after one year of satisfactory service as a Lieutenant.

	Captain II Russell Taylor was the Assistant Commanding Officer of the Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) during The Closer, Season 1. In that capacity, he supervised the Priority Murder Squad before he was replaced by Chief Johnson. For the beginning of Season 2, Taylor was promoted to Commander and became the RHD's Commanding Officer.
	Captain III Sharon Raydor was the Commanding Officer of the Force Investigation Division on The Closer. At the beginning of Major Crimes, she was transferred to lead the Major Crimes Division. Raydor was promoted to Commander in the Major Crimes Season 5 finale, “Shockwave, Part 2”.

Lieutenant

Badge

The rank of Lieutenant (Lt.) is divided into two pay grades (I–II). Upgrade from Lieutenant I to Lieutenant II requires only an interview.

• Lieutenant I is usually assigned as a patrol watch commander at a geographical area. They may also be assigned to administrative or specialized assignments at a geographical area or bureau, or at a specialized division or bureau (e.g. adjutant to a Deputy Chief, bureau gang or vice coordinator, task force officer-in-charge, etc.).
• Lieutenant II is usually assigned to specialized administrative or command positions throughout the department, including: assistant commanding officer of a specialized division; officer-in-charge of a specialized section; commanding officer of a geographical area detective division; task force officer-in-charge; adjutant to a Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, or the Chief of Police; or as a bureau gang or vice coordinator.

Lieutenants assigned to specialized divisions perform unique duties characteristic of their division. Depending upon the division of assignment, each Lieutenant supervises the activities of his/her subordinates; coordinates specialized training and ensures sufficient stock of tactical supplies and equipment; maintains liaison with appropriate department entities; acts as a leader at the scene of crime; and, reviews and completes all reports for the approval of a Captain.

Lieutenants are promoted from the rank of Sergeant or Detective after passing the Lieutenant's examination and interview, and after two years of satisfactory service as a Sergeant or Detective.

	Lieutenant II Louie Provenza is the Assistant Commanding Officer of the Major Crimes Division on The Closer and Major Crimes. In “Conspiracy Theory, Part 4” of Major Crimes, Season 6, he was designated as the Acting Commanding Officer of MCD and was confirmed as the permanent Commanding Officer in Major Crimes finale, “By Any Means, Part 4”​.
	Lieutenant II Andy Flynn is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer and Major Crimes. During Season 1 of The Closer, Flynn was officially assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division but was on loan to the Major Crimes Division (then known as the Priority Homicide Division). He requested a permanent transfer to Priority Homicide in “Fatal Retraction”.
	Lieutenant II Michael Tao is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer and Major Crimes.
	Lieutenant II Chuck Cooper is the Officer-in-Charge of the Special Investigation Section on Major Crimes.
	Lieutenant II Reid is the Officer-in-Charge of the Hazardous Devices and Materials Section during Major Crimes, Season 2. Lt. Reid has only been seen in “Year-End Blowout”. He was portrayed by James MacDonald (at IMDb).
	Lieutenant II Hector Camacho is a Section Officer-in-Charge in the Force Investigation Division during Major Crimes, Season 5. Lt. Camacho has only been seen in “White Lies, Part 1”. He was portrayed by Emanuel Borria (at IMDb).
	Lieutenant II Capra is the Officer-in-Charge of the Hazardous Devices and Materials Section during Major Crimes, Season 5. Lt. Capra has only been seen in “Shockwave, Part 1” and “Shockwave, Part 2”. He was portrayed by Lochlyn Munro (at IMDb).
	Lieutenant II Julio Sanchez is a Section Officer-in-Charge in the Criminal Intelligence Division.(“By Any Means, Part 4”)

Detectives

Badge

The rank of Detective is assigned to police officers who take on a specific group of specialized investigative duties, including conducting narcotics investigations, performing surveillance and establishing and maintaining contact with informants; investigating gang related crimes; responding to and investigating scenes of crime such as homicide, theft, robbery, auto theft, illegal sex related activities, and crimes committed by juveniles.

Detectives are considered specialists within the LAPD and they are normally considered to be separate from the uniformed chain-of-command. This means that the senior-most detective on the scene is permitted to take charge of an incident when it is necessary for investigative purposes, even if other higher-ranking officers are present. Traditionally, detectives are plain-clothes officers in the field who wear their uniforms only for ceremonial and certain other official occasions.

Detective III

Detective III (Det. III), colloquially referred to as just "Detective", is a supervisory detective position which is responsible for training and overseeing the activities of Detectives I and II, Police Officers, and/or civilian employees, in addition to regular detective duties. The rank of Detective III is equivalent to the rank of Sergeant II.

A Detective III is responsible for the above described duties in addition to serving as the leader in high profile cases of major robbery, fraud and homicide. Detective III can also be assigned as the assistant officer-in-charge of a specialized investigative section or as the officer-in-charge of a specialized investigative unit. Detective III also reviews reports prepared by his/her subordinates, informs the commanding officer of the status of investigations, trains and supervises newly assigned Detectives and civilian personnel, and performs related administrative duties.

Detective III Julio Sanchez is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on Major Crimes. In “By Any Means, Part 4”​​, Julio accepted a promotion to Lieutenant and a transfer to the Criminal Intelligence Division, as transferring to more administrative duties allows him to spend more time with his foster son.

Detective II

Detective II (Det. II), colloquially referred to as just "Detective", is the first supervisory detective position which is responsible for training and overseeing the activities of Detectives I, Police Officers, and/or civilian employees, in addition to regular detective duties. The rank of Detective II is equivalent to the rank of Sergeant I.

	Detective II Julio Sanchez is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer and Major Crimes. Julio later received a promotion to Detective III for the beginning of Major Crimes, Season 2.
	Detective II David Gabriel is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer. Gabriel was laterally promoted from Sergeant I to Detective II in Season 5 after passing his detectives exam.
	Detective II Amy Sykes is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on Major Crimes.
	Detective II Miller is assigned to the Robbery Special Section of the Robbery-Homicide Division on Major Crimes, Season 1. Det. Miller has only been seen in “Reloaded”. He was portrayed by Vyto Ruginis (at IMDb).
	Detective II Jordan Valdez is assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit on Major Crimes, Season 5. Det. Valdez has only been seen in “N.S.F.W.”. She was portrayed by Romi Dias (at IMDb).

Detective I

Detective I (Det. I), colloquially referred to as just "Detective", is the first detective rank available to officers if they pass their detectives exam and departmental interviews.

	Detective Garth is assigned to the Priority Murder Squad on “The Closer (Pilot)”. Det. Garth's character did not continue to the main series. He was portrayed by John Livingston (at IMDb).
	Detective Irene Daniels is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer, Seasons 1–4.
	Detective Mikki Mendoza is assigned to the Special Investigation Section on The Closer.
	Detective Sean Mackeroy is assigned to the Rampart Area Detective Division on Major Crimes, Season 2. Det. Mackeroy has only been seen in “Risk Assessment”. He was portrayed by Josh Randall (at IMDb).
	Detective Robert Oderno is assigned to the Missing Persons Unit on Major Crimes.
	Detective Stephanie Dunn is assigned to the Narcotics Division on Major Crimes, Season 4.
	Detective Mike Alamo is assigned to the Special Investigation Section on Major Crimes, Season 4. Det. Alamo has only been seen in “Hindsight, Part 2”.
	Detective Wes Nolan is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on Major Crimes from Season 5, “White Lies, Part 3” onward. Nolan transferred to Major Crimes from the Special Investigation Section.
	Detective Camila Paige is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on Major Crimes from Season 6, “Sanctuary City, Part 5” onward. Paige transferred to Major Crimes from the Missing Persons Unit.

Sergeants

Badge

Sergeant II

Sergeant II (Sgt. II), colloquially referred to as just "Sergeant", is a supervisory position with specialized and administrative assignments.

As a patrol supervisor, Sergeant II supervises a squad or detail of Police Officers and/or civilian employees. Sergeant II can also act as the assistant watch commander during his/her tour of duty (and in rare cases as the watch commander), but they can also be assigned to specialized divisions to perform specific duties, including: officer-in-charge of a specialized unit (e.g. area vice unit); assistant officer-in-charge of a specialized section or task force; adjutant to a patrol division Captain or the Area Commander; area training coordinator; area complaint investigator; internal affairs investigator; area community relations officer; aide to a Commander, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief or the Chief of Police; or area or bureau special events coordinator.

Sergeant II Staples is assigned to the Force Investigation Division on Major Crimes, Season 3.​ Sgt. Staples has only been seen in “Internal Affairs”. He was portrayed by Daniel Roebuck (at IMDb).

Sergeant I

Sergeant I (Sgt. I), colloquially referred to as just "Sergeant", usually supervises a squad or detail of Police Officers and/or civilian employees as a patrol supervisor. Sergeant I can also be assigned to specialized divisions to perform specific duties, including: adjutant to a patrol division Captain or the Area Commander; area training coordinator; area complaint investigator; internal affairs investigator; or area community relations officer.

Sergeant David Gabriel is assigned to the Major Crimes Division on The Closer. He was laterally promoted to Detective II in Season 5 after passing his detectives exam.

Police Officers

Badge

A Police Officer may be assigned to a foot beat, a black and white patrol car, bicycle patrol, Mounted Unit, motorcycle, or a specialized unit such as SWAT or K-9 Unit.

Police Officer III+1

Police Officer III+1 (PO III+1), colloquially referred to as just "Officer", designation is given to certain Police Officer III's in special or hazard pay situations.

These include, but are not limited to, traffic investigators, canine handlers, SWAT assistant squad leaders, and senior lead officers who coordinate geographical areas.

Police Officer III

Police Officer III (PO III), colloquially referred to as just "Officer", is the highest pay grade available to standard officers.

A Police Officer III is most likely assigned to a geographical area patrol division, but they can also serve as a vice investigator, police academy instructor, detective trainee, legislative officer, news media coordinator, Metropolitan Division element member, range officer, recruitment officer, driver-security aide to the Chief or the Mayor, unusual occurrence planning officer, or numerous other positions within the department. A Police Officer III may also supervise probationary Police Officers (Police Officer I) as their Field Training Officer (FTO).

	Police Officer III Jamey Perez is an element member in the D Platoon (SWAT) of the Metropolitan Division on Major Crimes, Season 3.
	Police Officer III Chad Stuart is an element member in the D Platoon (SWAT) of the Metropolitan Division on Major Crimes, Season 3.

Police Officer II

Police Officer II (PO II), colloquially referred to as just "Officer", is the standard officer rank after satisfactory completion of an 18-month probationary assignment. Officers must serve at least three years as a Police Officer II before eligibility to be promoted to Police Officer III.

A Police Officer II is most likely assigned to a geographical area patrol division, though they may also serve as a vice investigator, police academy instructor, detective trainee, legislative officer, news media coordinator, range officer, recruitment officer, driver-security aide to the Chief or the Mayor, unusual occurrence planning officer, or numerous other positions within the department. Regardless of assignment, Police Officer II's do not hold any supervisory powers over any other officers.

Police Officer II Kate Sherman is assigned to the Gang Intelligence Unit of the Special Operations Support Division on Major Crimes, Season 3.

Police Officer I

Police Officer I (PO I), colloquially referred to as just "Officer" (or as "boot" or "rookie" by their training officer), is a probationary rank. Police Officer I's attend six months of training at the LAPD Academy after which they are assigned to their first field assignment(s) for a 12-month probationary field training period. They are automatically promoted to Police Officer II after successfully completing their training and probationary assignment.

Police Officer I's are accompanied by a Field Training Officer (FTO) who holds the rank of Police Officer Officer III, or occasionally Police Officer III+1. In practice, they have the same duties as a Police Officer II but they operate under the constant supervision of their FTO in order to "learn the ropes".

Reserve Police Officer

The Los Angeles Police Reserve Corps is comprised of community members who volunteer their time to fulfill many of the roles handled by full-time sworn police officers. Reserve officers receive the same training as full-time officers and work alongside them in every aspect of department operations.

As of May, 2015 (per the September 15, 2015, LAPD Inspector General's report on the Reserve Officer Program), the majority of LAPD's Reserve Officers were Level 1's, with 255 Reserve Officers. At the same, only 29 Reserve Officers were classed as Level 2, and 106 Reserve Officers were classed as Level 3.

Level III

Level III Reserve Officers are uniformed, but unarmed Police Officers, who perform various administrative functions within the LAPD. Level III Reserve Officers are assigned duties at the front desk, with area detectives, and in community relations.

• Training: Level III Reserve Officers receive approximately 240 hours of professional classroom instruction.
• Supervision: Must be supervised by a full-time Police Officer.
• Authority/Power: Can carry a firearm on-duty only if specifically qualified. No off-duty police officer powers. Same as citizen off-duty.

Level II

Level II Reserve Officers perform the same functions as regular, full-time police officers. They are armed, uniformed peace officers who work in police vehicles along with full-time police officers.

• Training: Level II Reserve Officers receive approximately 490 hours of professional classroom instruction (240 hours of basic training and 250 hours of additional training).
• Supervision: Must be supervised by a full-time Police Officer.
• Authority/Power: Same as full-time officer on-duty. No off-duty police officer powers. Same as citizen off-duty.

Level I

Level I Reserve Officers perform the same functions as regular, full-time police officers. They are armed, uniformed peace officers who work in police vehicles along with full-time police officers.

• Training: Level I Reserve Officers receive approximately 580 hours of professional classroom instruction (240 hours of basic training and 340 hours of additional training).
• Supervision: Can work alone. Supervision through the normal chain of command.
• Authority/Power: Same as full-time officer on/off-duty. Can carry concealed/loaded firearm on/off-duty.

Buzz Watson is a Reserve Police Officer, having qualified for the job for Season 4 of Major Crimes. For Season 6 of Major Crimes, he also qualified as a Reserve Detective, which in the real LAPD is a very rare qualification, allowing for Reserve Officers to work in investigative assignments.

Trivia

Salary

In 2010, the Los Angeles City Controller posted the annual salaries of every L.A. city employee, including police officers. Salaries for all officers in a certain rank is not always the same as it is dependent on the officers assignment and other possible personal bonuses. At the time of this listing, the LAPD had 9926 Police Officers on the job.

• NOTE: this list does not include the most extreme outliers (i.e. salary given to only one employee which is considerably lower or higher than the rest of the group as such deviation could be for a number of reasons and therefore doesn't give an accurate representation of the situation). Additionally, all figures are rounded to the nearest full dollar.

Rank	No. of Officers	Salary
Chief of Police	1	$307,291
Assistant Chief	3	$206,086–$256,072
Deputy Chief	7	$195,708–$218,092
Commander	16	$179,589–$189,695
Captain III	37	$161,194–$170,235
Captain II	15	$151,171–$161,194
Captain I	21	$134,342–$152,633
Lieutenant II	159	$127,326–$145,972
Lieutenant I	99	$120,624–$138,246
Detective III	346	$109,307–$125,171
Detective II	652	$102,542–$125,134
Detective I	704	$92,895–$118,536
Sergeant II	477	$108,263–$134,625
Sergeant I	738	$99,911–$127,545
Police Officer III	2113	$83,269–$112,120
Police Officer II	3987	$61,095–$127,610
Police Officer I	544	$45,226–$71,869