Police Inspector or Officer is a government and one of the reputed jobs in any society. Many people dream of becoming police officers and there are lakhs of aspirants who give exams for the recruitment of many different police officer posts every year.
Are you one of those who want to become a police officer and work in the police department? If yes, and searching the details about becoming a police inspector, you are at the right place.
In this article, I will discuss the complete information and procedure about how to become a police inspector or officer.
If you want to become a police officer then first decide which grade of police officer you want to become because there are different grades of police officers in the police department such as Superintendent of Police (SP), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Inspector of Police, Sub Inspector of Police, and so on. The eligibility criteria and the exam through which you get the respective post are different.
There are many national-level and state-level exams through which candidates become police officers of different grades. Some of those exams are UPSC civil services exam, state PSC exam, state police recruitment exam, SSC, etc.
- How to Become Inspector in Police?
- Eligibility Criteria to Become Police Officer
- How to Become a Police Officer in India after 12th?
- Skills Needed to be a Police Officer
- Police Officer Job Description
- Average Police Officer Salary
- Benefits of Being a Police Officer
- Disadvantages of Being a Police Officer
- Preparation to Become a Police Officer
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to Become Inspector in Police?
Police Inspector:- The Inspector of Police is a law enforcement job who is in charge of one police station. A police inspector has a duty to protect and serve his block area by overseeing his entire police station and ensuring that other law enforcement officers follow proper protocol in their work.
It is the responsibility of the police inspector to maintain law and order in his area and if someone breaks the law and order, then the police inspector does the job of taking action against them.
Now the question is arising in the mind of many candidates how to become a police inspector? Well, there is no direct process for the recruitment of a Police Inspector. You have to become a sub-inspector of police first and then after several years when you gain experience and based on your performance, you get promoted to the post of a police inspector.
You can become a sub-inspector of police by qualifying for the SSC exam conducted by the Staff Selection Commission of India. Also, you must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university. Though the selection and promotion process may differ from state to state. Some names of the exams by which the recruitment of Sub Inspector of Police is done in different states are as follows:
- Rajasthan Police Recruitment Exam
- Karnataka Police Recruitment Exam
- Bihar Police Recruitment Exam
- Himachal Pradesh Police Recruitment Exam
- Gujarat Police Recruitment Exam
- Andhra Pradesh Police Recruitment Exam
- Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment Exam
- West Bengal Police Recruitment Exam
- Tripura Police Recruitment Exam
- Assam Police Recruitment Exam
- J&K Police Recruitment Exam
Eligibility Criteria to Become Police Officer
Eligibility criteria differ from post to post. Also, the recruitment process for higher-grade police officers is different compared to lower-grade police officers. So it depends on you what type of post you are willing to be.
If you want to be a Grade-A level police officer like SP/ASP/DSP then you have to clear the IPS civil services exam and if you want another post like Inspector, Assistant Inspector, or Head Constable then you need to clear the SSC or State Police Recruitment Exam and physical test that is required to become the respective post.
You can get the notification dates that are related to your interesting post by visiting the respective official website such as UPSC or State PSC for IPS.
| Designation Name | Eligibility | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| SP/ASP | Bachelor’s Degree with a lower age limit of 21 years | IPS |
| Assistant Commissioner or DSP | Bachelor’s Degree with a lower age limit of 21 years | IPS |
| Circle Inspector and Sub-Inspector | Bachelor’s Degree | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Assistant Sub-Inspector | Head Constable with at least 5-7 years of experience are often promoted to Assistant Sub-Inspector | State-Level Recruitment Exam or SSC |
| Police Head Constable | Class 12 | State-Level Recruitment Exam |
| Constable | Class 12 and lower age limit is 18, while the upper age limit is 25 | State-Level Recruitment Exam |
How to Become a Police Officer in India after 12th?
If you want to become a police officer after 12th then there are two posts for which you can apply after 12th. One post is police head constable and the other post is constable. Whether you have done 12th from any stream, you are eligible for these two posts.
State Police Recruitment Exam is conducted in every state in India, through which constable and head constable are recruited. The State Police Department or State Education Board Department conducts the respective examination.
You can check all the details of your respective exams by visiting the official website of your respective police department. However, the exam pattern and procedure may differ from state to state.
| Designation Name | Eligibility | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Police Head Constable | Class 12 | State-Level Recruitment Exam |
| Constable | Class 12 and lower age limit is 18, while the upper age limit is 25 | State-Level Recruitment Exam |
Skills Needed to be a Police Officer
- Aspirants must have good communication skills.
- Candidates should be patriotic and loyal to their work.
- Candidates should have strong physical and mental fitness.
- Candidates should have socialization behaviour.
- Candidates should have a strong moral character.
- Candidates must have problem-solving skills.
- Candidates should be able to handle responsibility.
- Candidates should be able to remain calm in challenging or dangerous situations.
- Candidates should be open-minded and assertive.
Police Officer Job Description
Superintendent of Police (SP)/ Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP):- SP and ASP are heads in charge of defence or armed police in a district.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)/ Assistant Commissioner:- DSP is the head of provincial police forces in the state police.
Inspector of Police/ Circle Inspector:- The inspector of Police also known as the Circle Inspector is the head in charge of a police station in a particular locality or region.
Assistant Inspector of Police:- The Assistant Inspector of Police is an assistant of the Circle Inspector. He/She is the assistant officer in charge of a police station in a particular region or locality.
Sub-Inspector of Police:- The sub-Inspector of Police is also known as the SI of Police whose duty is to file a charge sheet in the district court of FIR cases.
Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police:- As from the designation name, it is an assistant of SI. He/She is the head of the police head constable.
Police Head Constable:- It is a low-grade police officer as compared to the above police officer. Police Head Constable’s duty is to follow the order of their high-grade official.
Police Constable:- It is the lowest grade officer in the police department. A Police Constable is an assistant of the Police Head Constable.
Average Police Officer Salary
| Job Profile | Salary (Monthly) |
|---|---|
| SP/ASP | ₹70,000 – ₹1,09,203 |
| DSP/ Assistant Commissioner | ₹15,600 – ₹39,300 |
| Circle Inspector | ₹15,600 – ₹39,100 |
| Sub-Inspector/ Assistant Sub-Inspector | ₹9,300 – ₹34,000 |
| Head Constable | ₹5,200 – ₹20,000 |
| Police Constable | ₹7,000 |
Benefits of Being a Police Officer
- Police officers get a handsome amount of salary and get increments several years after joining.
- Police officers are given a lot of respect in society because they protect society.
- Since these are government jobs they get job security as long as they don’t do an illegal activity.
- When they do good work and do extraordinary work by risking their life then they get rewards from the government and can also get promotions to higher grade posts.
- Police officers get a pension after retirement.
- It’s kind of an adventure job.
- Learn to use different types of weapons.
Disadvantages of Being a Police Officer
- In this work, you are in danger from criminals and sometimes it can even come to your life.
- You can watch gun encounters during your work.
- You will have to make hard and difficult decisions during your work.
- You don’t know how your day is going to be.
- You will see a lot of emotional and bad things during your work.
- You are also at risk of getting shot in this work.
Preparation to Become a Police Officer
- Get to know all the details about your interested designation such as its eligibility criteria, age limit, physical requirements, qualifications, exams, and so on before applying.
- Memorise the complete syllabus of your respective examination before starting your preparation.
- Make a proper timetable for each day and divide your time into specific topics.
- Break the syllabus into parts. So that it will be easy for you to complete the syllabus.
- Make a habit of making notes on topics that are important for the exam.
- Start your preparation at least 1 year before applying for your respective exam form.
- Try to solve one set of your respective exam papers daily. So that it increases your timing and writing speed.
- Must solve at least 10 years of previous years’ questions. So that it gives you an idea about the questions asked in the examination.
- If your exam has an interview round then watch several interviews on the Internet. It gives you an idea about how to present in an interview. Also, give several mock interviews before going for the actual interview. Which will increase your confidence.
- If your examination has a physical test round then practice your physical and mental fitness daily such as running and yoga.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can we become police inspector directly?
No, you first have to become a Sub-Inspector of Police and after that, you get promoted to the police inspector.
How can I become inspector after 12th?
You can’t become an inspector after 12th directly. You first need to complete a graduate degree and after that, you have to clear the examination to become an inspector.
How can I become SI?
You can become SI by qualifying for the state police recruitment examination.
What is the qualification of SI?
The qualification of SI is a bachelor’s degree from any recognized university.
What is the highest post in police?
Director-General of Police is the highest post in the police.
How long does it take to become a police officer?
It usually takes 2 years to become a police inspector after applying the form.
How much does a police officer make a year?
It is difficult to tell how much a police officer makes a year because it differs from post to post. Higher grade officers have higher salaries as compared to lower grade officers.
Can you be a police officer with a criminal record?
No, you can’t be a police officer with a criminal record.
Do police officers get holidays?
Yes, police officers get holidays but very little.