A person holding a position, especially but not exclusively in the public sector,who is claiming some sort of equivalence in rank,status or authority to a commissioned officer in the armed forces. The most common example of this in the United Kingdom is that of ‘police officer’ a term which is even (mis)used in legislation. The origin of the word is in the scenario of a
police constable stopping an erratic driver on suspicion of drunken driving were the suspect confirms the
Police Constable’
s suspicions by asking “what appears to be the problem ociffer?”. The reason it is incorrect for
British policemen and women to be called officers is that the civil equivalent of a military commission is the commission of the
peace which is held by Justices of the Peace. A
police constable holds the king’s warrant not the king’s commission. Legally Constable is the only
police rank,other ‘ranks’ such as Chief Superintendent,are at best appointments (like the army equivalent of a warrant officer 1st class holding the appointment of RSM) at worst internal job descriptions.