police chief
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police chief
The head of a larger police authority, typically in a major city or a federal state.
Der Polizeipräsident informierte die Öffentlichkeit über den Stand der Ermittlungen.
The police chief informed the public about the status of the investigation.
The word is a clear compound of 'die Polizei' (the police) and 'der Präsident' (the president). The title therefore refers to the person who presides over a police authority.
Der Polizeipräsident hat eine lange Karriere bei der Polizei hinter sich.
The police chief has had a long career in the police.
The word belongs to a group of terms related to the police. The workplace of the 'Polizeipräsident' is often 'das Polizeipräsidium' (police headquarters), meaning the central office of the police.
Vor dem Polizeipräsidium haben sich viele Journalisten versammelt.
Many journalists gathered in front of the police headquarters.
Typical actions of a 'Polizeipräsident' that are reported in the news are 'eine Pressekonferenz geben' (to hold a press conference), 'die Öffentlichkeit informieren' (to inform the public), or 'Ermittlungen leiten' (to lead investigations).
Der Polizeipräsident gab nach dem Einsatz eine Pressekonferenz.
The police chief held a press conference after the operation.
sheriff
'der Sheriff' and 'der Polizeipräsident' both refer to a leading person in the police. The difference mainly lies in the country and the type of authority. A sheriff is, especially in the U.S., the chief police officer of a county. A Polizeipräsident usually heads a larger police authority, for example in a major city or in a federal state. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to high-ranking police roles. In an American county, 'Sheriff' fits; for German or general large police authorities, 'Polizeipräsident' is more natural.
Der Polizeipräsident erklärte nach der Sitzung die neuen Sicherheitsregeln.
After the meeting, the police chief explained the new safety rules.
In dem amerikanischen County sprach der Sheriff nach dem Unfall mit den Reportern.
In the American county, the sheriff spoke with the reporters after the accident.