The head of a municipal police department is typically known as the

• A. Police Chief
• B. Sheriff
• C. Commissioner
• D. Mayor

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the usual title for the top official running a city’s police department. In most municipalities, that person is the Police Chief, the chief executive responsible for daily operations, setting department policy, and coordinating with city government. A Sheriff typically leads a county-wide law enforcement agency and may manage county jails, so that role isn’t the municipal police head. A Commissioner can be used in some places as the department head, but it’s less common for a city’s police department. A Mayor leads the city politically and hires or oversees the police chief rather than serving as the department’s day-to-day leader. So, the term that best fits the head of a municipal police department is Police Chief.