A question for our German members

I'm writing a story set in England involving a TV show in which a German policewoman is announced as a guest. The person making the announcement is an academic who would probably get her title right. She would be a constable or one rank above. I've looked on the internet, mainly Wikipedia, which gives a list of ranks. However, I know in German-speaking countries it's common to have female variants of job titles that in English are unisex (e.g. Professorin). So how would a female police constable (or one rank up) be correctly introduced by professional title and then name, just as in Britain we might say "Constable Susan Large"?

Wikipedia was no help on this and neither was an English-German translation site - probably American as it didn't recognise "constable".

My German-English dictionary says "constable" is "polizist" in German. but you will probably have to wait for a reply from a German member to be sure of the proper usage.

If she is a constable her title would be: Polizeimeisterin
one rank above: Polizeiobermeisterin and then Polizeihauptmeisterin


If she has the rank similar to superintendent she would be a "Kommissarin", "Hauptkommissarin" "Oberkommissarin". But these ranks are not wearing uniform any longer.

So the formal right address would be: "Frau Polizeihauptmeisterin *name* . Don't think that this title would be used in any german tv-show. Maybe in Austria, they are still very fond of titles.

mati to the rescue! (MY favorite German here)

Well, Germans love ranks. And they love their way of federalism which means they have policemen and -women on the "Bundes" and the "Länder" level. So you have even two unebelievable long lists of ranks to choose of. They are listed here:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtsbezeichnungen_der_deutschen_Polizei ("Länder" level)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtsbezeichnungen_der_Bundespolizei (federal level)
For the female version, add "-in", e.g.: "Polizeihauptkommissarin"
To make it even more complicated: In German, the "Dr." title is part of the name and has to be used (after the rank and in front of the name, e.g.: "Polizeihauptkommissarin Dr. Marie-Luise von und zu Wasserburg"

Let me guess: In your story the German policewoman will be called by a wrong rank and therefore spank someone?

After sleeping over this question and discussing it intensily during lunch, I came to the conclusion that I told you wrong. It is right that we use the female variants of all professions, but only if it's the job-description. Angela Merkel f.e. is our "Kanzlerin", but if you address her you would say: "Frau Kanzler". So a physician would be "Doktorin", but "Frau Doktor" and so on. In your case the right address would be: "Frau Polizeihauptwachtmeister", but if you describe her job you would say: "Frau Soandso is Polizeihauptwachtmeisterin". Why should we make it easy, if we can have it difficult?

Many thanks all, particularly Mati. I did find the Wikipedia list, but it gave me no indication of whether -in should be added. The situation is that a British TV show allows two panel members to call in a guest or witness. The panel member announces who it is and the person then walks on. So If the panel member had chosen, say, Major Dominic Jones of the Royal Artillery, (s)he would announce, "Major Dominic Jones!", possibly adding "Royal Artillery"; and the other might in due course announce "Doctor Karen Lowther" and maybe "Addenbrooke's Hospital". This one has invited a German policewoman, so her name and title are announced: she is not addressed at this point, and when she is addressed by one of the presenters, it will be informally by her first name according to British custom. But the German policewoman has been invited by a self-satisfied academic who would very likely take pride in getting her title right especially if it mystified most of the other people present. So I think Polizeiobermeisterin would be what I want. The academic might or might not add the name of her police force. This is a bit problematic because I gather German police forces are moving over to blue uniforms from the previous green and khaki and I'd rather prefer her force to be one still using the old colours, though it doesn't matter hugely.

Whatever uniforms they are wearing, I don't think they would wear it in another country. The moment they are putting on their uniform they are automatically on duty and I'm not sure if this is allowed outside Germany.

Speaking as an ex Gunner, the correct title would be Major Dominic Jones R.A.

Sorry to be pedantic!

Speaking as an ex tankie, the correct title would be Major Dominic Jones Dropshort.