About the Department
The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) is the nation's fourth largest police department, with over 6300 sworn members and 800 civilian personnel. The PPD is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for serving Philadelphia County, extending over 140 square-miles in which approximately 1.5 million reside. Geographically, the Department is divided into twenty-one police districts (each headed by a captain), which comprise six police divisions (Northwest, Northeast, East, Central, Southwest, South - each headed by a Divisional Inspector), into two major sections of the city, Regional Operations Command North (ROC North) and Regional Operations Command South (ROC South), each headed by one Chief Inspector under Patrol Operations. Personnel are assigned to work in 55 different locations throughout Philadelphia, with Police Headquarters located in the 6th Police District, in Center City, at 400 North Broad Street.
Ranks
There are eleven different ranks in the Philadelphia Police Department in the following order, beginning at the entry level position of a police officer and ending with Police Commissioner.
- Police Officer
- Detective
- Corporal
- Sergeant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Staff Inspector
- Inspector
- Chief Inspector
- Deputy Commissioner
- Commissioner