Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a

rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * ...

that was used by police forces in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth. 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 still in use in India where the officer holding this rank is from

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 independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS ...

. However, assistant superintendent of police is a probationary rank (till the second year of the career of an IPS officer) and is worn by officers when under training at

SVPNPA Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) is the civil service training institution in India. The institute trains Indian Police Service (IPS) officers before they are sent to their respective state cadres to carry out their dut ...

. All IPS officers start their career as Assistant Superintendent of Police. State Cadre Officer cannot hold this rank. They hold Deputy Superintendent of Police rank which is equivalent to this rank.

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

The Assistant Superintendent of Police in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

is selected by the head of the

Police Force The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

in a state, The Commissioner of Police, to eligible candidates that must have achieved the Inspector of Police rank. The level is directly below the Deputy Superintendent of Police rank, and is the sixth-lowest rank, above the Inspector of Police; Major Sergeant; Sergeant; Corporal; and the Constable. A student who graduate from then prestigious Nigeria police academy (a Police officers academic and training academy ) is commissioned into the Nigerian Police Force as an Assistant Superintendent of Police

Pakistan

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, 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 Law enforcement in Pakistan ( ur, ) is one of the three main components of the criminal justice system of Pakistan, alongside the judiciary and the prisons. The country has a mix of federal, provincial and territorial police forces with both gen ...

Sri Lanka

In the

Sri Lanka Police Service (The one who lives by the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma itself) , mission = , formedyear = , preceding1 = Ceylon Police Force (1866–1972) , dissolved = , superseding = , employees = ...

, 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 Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...

(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 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; human, wea ...

, 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 In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

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 National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) is one of the national uniformed group for youths between age 13 to 17 in Singapore. The organisation is supported by the Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational governme ...

, 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

{{Reflist * https://web.archive.org/web/20091128044006/http://mahapolice.gov.in/mahapolice/jsp/temp/html/policerank.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20090228121335/http://police.gov.bn/ASP.html Police ranks Police ranks of Pakistan Police ranks of India Police ranks of Sri Lanka