Deputy superintendent, or deputy superintendent of police (DSP), was a rank used by police forces of the British Empire. In some territories it was called Deputy District Superintendent of police (DDSP).
The rank was usually confined to Europeans, and not all territories used it. The rank below was usually assistant superintendent and the rank above was (District) superintendent.
In India, the rank is Assistant commissioner of police in commissionerate system, whereas at district level the rank is Deputy superintendent of police. The rank of deputy superintendent (DSP) or assistant commissioner of police (ACP) was created in 1905 as the policy of Indianisation was introduced. Deputy superintendents or assistant commissioners of police are state police officers who belong to the provincial police forces, either direct entrants at that rank or promoted from inspector. Assistant commissioner of police, who are members of the provincial forces(equivalent rank deputy superintendents) are equal in every way to IPS (equivalent rank assistant superintendent of police) although paid slightly less and fill the same positions(sub divisional police officer). Deputy superintendents of police(assistant commissioner of police) who show potential could be promoted to the I.P.S after some limited years of service which varies from 8 to 15 years depending on the state. [1]
In the Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, it is known as Circle Officer (CO).
Every year, the state government will prepare a list of members of the State Police Service, to be suitable for promotion to the indian police Service. note: criteria for being included in the list being that"Member of the State Police Service , on the first day of January of the year [for which the select list is prepared] he is substantive in the State Police Service and has completed not less than eight years of continuous service (whether officiating or substantive) in the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police or in any other post or posts declared equivalent thereto by the State Government" .
The year of allotment of an officer appointed to the Indian Police service shall be as follows: -
(i) the year of allotment of a direct recruit IPS officer shall be the year following the year in which the competitive examination was held
(ii) The year of allotment of a promotee officer shall be determined with reference to the year for which the meeting of the Committee to make selection, to prepare the Select List on the basis of which he was appointed to the Service, was held and with regard to the continuous service rendered by him in the State Police Service not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police or equivalent, upto the 31st day of December of the year immediately before the year for which the meeting of the Committee to make selection was held to prepare the select list on the basis of which he was appointed to the Service, in the following manner:-
(a) for the service rendered by him upto twenty one years, he shall be given a weightage of one year for every completed three years of service, subject to a minimum of four years:
(b) He shall also be given a weightage of one year for every completed two years of service beyond the period of twenty one years, referred to in sub-clause (a), subject to a maximum of three years.
Explanation: For the purpose of calculation of weightage under this clause, fractions, if any, are to be ignored.
Provided that he shall not be assigned a year of allotment earlier than the year of allotment assigned to an officer senior to him in that select list or appointed to the service on the basis of an earlier select list.