Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

and is still used in many police forces in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. In the 20th century, it was in many territories opened to non-Europeans as well.

India

Assistant superintendent of police (ASP) is an entry-level rank in the

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Empire. Along with the Indian Admini ...

(IPS). Officers at this rank are either undergoing training or serving in the field during the early years of their service. The ASP is equivalent in rank to a deputy superintendent of police (Dy.SP) in the state police services. Typically assigned to subdivisions within districts, ASPs are responsible for maintaining law and order, supervising police stations, and leading investigations. The first posting is usually as the station house officer (SHO) of a police station, followed by assignment to a police sub-division as the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO). Selected through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), IPS officers are trained at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

before taking up ASP roles. Assistant superintendent of police is a probationary rank for the first year and is held by officers when under training at SVPNPA.

The Bahamas

In the Royal Bahamas Police this rank is above inspector and below superintendent. An ASP wears three bath stars or pips on the shoulder.

Bangladesh

Assistant superintendents of police (ASP) are recruited through the competitive Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination. They undergo a one-year-long training course at the Bangladesh Police Academy as probationary ASPs. After passing out from the academy, they undergo orientation training for six months at the district level as a probationer. After that they are appointed as fully-fledged ASPs in different units.

Nigeria

An assistant superintendent of police is selected by the head of the

Nigeria Police Force The Nigeria Police Force is the principal law enforcement and the lead security agency in Nigeria. It was designated by the 1999 constitution as the national police of Nigeria, with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country. As at 2021, i ...

in a state, the Commissioner of Police, from eligible candidates that must have achieved the rank of inspector of police. The rank is directly below deputy superintendent of police. A student who graduate from the Nigeria Police Academy is commissioned into the Nigerian Police Force as an assistant superintendent of police.

Pakistan

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, an assistant superintendent of police is a selected through the Central Superior Services examination. An ASP is the entry level rank of the Police Service of Pakistan.

Sri Lanka

In the Sri Lanka Police Service, the rank of assistant superintendent of police (ASP) is a senior gazetted officer in Sri Lanka police. The rank is above the rank of chief inspector of police (CIP) and below a superintendent of police (SP). Generally an ASP would be in command of a group of police stations in a police division. Direct entry to the rank is possible for graduates while chief inspector of police (CIP) would be promoted as well. They are similar to the Commissioned officers in Armed forces, Sri Lanka

Singapore

In the

Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; hum ...

, ASP is the second lowest senior officer rank, immediately above an

inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

and below a deputy superintendent of police. New police officer cadets holding university degrees graduate from the Home Team Academy as inspectors. In the National Police Cadet Corps, the rank of acting assistant superintendent of police (A/ASP (NPCC)) is given to

s who have not attained the rank of ASP (NPCC) but have been appointed as the officer commanding of their unit. The rank insignia of assistant superintendent of police and acting assistant superintendent of police is the same, with both wearing the Singapore coat of arms, with the letters 'NPCC' below it to differentiate NPCC ranks from Singapore Police Force ones. NPCC officers who hold the rank of assistant superintendent of police have a single row of silver braid on the peak of their cap (for males) or bowler hat (for females).

References

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External links

Police ranks in Maharashtra, India

Police ranks Police ranks of Pakistan Police ranks of India Police ranks of Sri Lanka