Every police officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the ranks which he or she held. The rank indicates the position of the police officer in the hierarchical structure of the agency in which he / she is employed.

Since citizens most often come into contact with uniformed police officers, to which an integral part of the official uniform is the the rank which they held, knowing the appearance and official name of each individual rank can make it easier, in combination with other known circumstances, to file a complaint against a police officer, in case of actual or perceived violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens.

For that reason, the visual identification and official names of police ranks in Bosnia and Herzegovina are presented below. If you want to know more about police ranks, please see the Laws on Police Officials or the Law on Police and Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska

RANKS OF POLICE OFFICERS IN STATE LEVEL POLICE AGENCIES, IN THE FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND IN THE BRČKO DISTRICT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Police officials hold one of the following ranks:

• Police Officer;
• Senior Police Officer;
• Sergeant;
• Senior Sergeant;
• Junior Inspector;
• Inspector;
• Senior Inspector;
• Independent Inspector;
• Chief Inspector;
• Inspector General of Police;
• Chief Inspector General of Police.

NOTES:

* The rank of Chief Inspector General of Police does not exist in the cantonal ministries of the interior. The ranks of Inspector General and Chief Inspector General of Police denote Deputy Chiefs or Heads of Police Agencies. For example, in cantonal ministries of the interior, the rank of Inspector General of police is held by police Commissioners, while in other police agencies this rank is held by Deputy Chiefs, and Heads are in the rank of Chief Inspector General of police.

** In the ranks of Inspector General, Inspector General of Police and Chief Inspector General of Police, in addition to stars, an integral part of the appearance of these ranks is the coat of arms of the police agency / state (state, federal and cantonal levels) or the coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina.