Superintendent of police (India)

Last updated
Superintendent of Police
Superintendent of Police.png
Rank insignia of SP in junior administrative grade
Senior Superintendent of Police.png
Rank insignia of SP in selection grade
TypeHead of the police district
StatusActive
AbbreviationSP
Member of Indian Police Service (IPS)
State Police Services (SPS)
Deputy Additional Superintendent of Police
Assistant Superintendent of Police (IPS)
Deputy Superintendent of Police (SPS)

The Superintendent of Police (SP) is a rank in Indian police forces held by an officer serving as the head of a rural police district. Officers of the same rank may also head specialised wings or units. In cities under commissionerate system, an SP may serve as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) under the Commissioner of Police. The SP reports directly to the district magistrate (collector), the administrative head of a revenue district, who has general control and direction over police administration. Additionally, the SP sends monthly reports to the Director General of Police (DGP) via the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).

Contents

The career progression of an SP involves advancing through three grades—senior time scale, junior administrative grade, and selection grade, and two insignias: one-star and two-star. In certain states, the SP in selection grade is known as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), who heads a larger police district. The SP ranks above the Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP) and below the DIG. Officers reaching the SP rank are predominantly selected from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and, alternatively, from the respective State Police Services (SPS). IPS officers begin as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), while SPS officers start as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP/DySP), both heading police sub-divisions.

Rank, recruitment, promotion

Official car of SP, Champhai district, Mizoram Nissan Duster entitled to SP Champhai District, Mizoram.jpg
Official car of SP, Champhai district, Mizoram

The Superintendent of Police (SP) occupies the middle management level in a police force. [1] The career progression for an SP involves postings in three distinct grades—senior time scale, [2] junior administrative grade, and selection grade. In some states, an SP in the selection grade is also known as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). [3] Depending on the grade, an SP is distinguished by two insignias: one star and the national emblem for the first two grades, and two star and the national emblem for selection grade. [4]

The rank of SP is positioned above the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) or Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP/DySP) and below the SSP, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), and Director General of Police (DGP). The ranks from ASP/DSP to DGP falls within the broad category of superior officers in a police force. [1] Postings in SP and above rank officers should have a term of at least two years, as per law. [5]

There is no direct recruitment for the rank of SP. Officers attaining the SP rank are predominantly drawn from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and, alternatively, from the respective State Police Services (such as the Mizoram Police Service). IPS officers are recruited through the Civil Services Examination and initially posted as ASP in a state cadre during their probationary period. Meanwhile, state governments conduct recruitment for DSP rank through Public Service Commission examinations. Both ASP and DSP serves as the head of a sub-division. However, it takes 10 to 12 years for a DSP to be promoted to the SP rank, whereas an ASP can achieve this promotion within three years. An ASP is a gazetted officer. [6] Some state governments conduct direct recruitments only for constable and sub-inspector (SI) ranks. Although uncommon, constable can also rise to the rank of SP through promotions. [7]

For the official use of the Superintendent of Police, state governments have the authority to issue an official car. Additionally, they can also be allotted a government residence, with security guards.[ citation needed ]

Role

In superintendent-led police district

The police force in a state comprises both civil police and armed reserves. The Superintendent of Police (SP) may be appointed as the head of the civil police force within a designated police district. A police district is formally recognized through notification by state governments, encompassing areas that may either coincide with the district or be within its boundaries. Police districts under the purview of the SP are non-metropolitan and predominantly rural. When the size of the police district is substantially larger, an SP in selection grade, also known as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), is appointed as the head. [8] The SSP is also a post, in certain occasions, even after getting promoted to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) rank, an officer may continue as SSP. [9] Several Indian districts have two or more police districts within them, segmented as rural and city. The rural police is headed by an SP and city police is headed by a Commissioner of Police. The latter's jurisdiction is called a commissionerate. [10] While some districts have both rural and city police, the absence of a commissionerate system often results in each police district being overseen by one SP. [11]

The SP, operating under the guidance of the Director General of Police (DGP), assumes responsibility for the administrative affairs of the police force within a designated police district. This encompasses a range of responsibilities, including financial and personnel administration, maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crimes, overseeing surveillance and intelligence operations, ensuring the security of ministerial residences, addressing grievances, providing training to police personnel, enforcing discipline among the police, checking anti-social activities, and conducting routine inspections of subordinate police stations and offices, among others. [12]

The SP serving as the chief of police district operates under the supervision of the DIG, who is in charge of the police range encompassing that police district. Sub-divisions within a police district are headed by Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPO), holding the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) or Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). [1] In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the equivalent post to SDPO is known as Circle Officer (CO). [6] Each sub-division contains multiple police stations. The SP may receive assistance from Additional Superintendent of Police (Add. SP), alongside ASPs and DSPs. [1] In Kerala, the post of SP as the head of a police district is designated as the District Police Chief (DPC). [13]

The overall administrative head of a district is the district magistrate (also known as district collector), who also have law and order charges. The district magistrate possesses executive magisterial powers, including regulation, control, and licensing derived from the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) [14] [15] and various special Acts, including but not limited to the Arms Act and Excise Act. These magisterial powers span a range of activities, from issuing orders for preventive arrests and declaring Section 144 to securing bonds of good behavior from potential or habitual offenders and employing force during law and order exigencies, among other responsibilities. [16] Since police districts comes within the jurisdiction of the district magistrate, the administration of police within a police district comes under the general control and direction of the district magistrate. [17] Hence, SP reports directly to the district magistrate. Consequently, there exists a dual control of police force within a district, requiring SP to co-operate with district magistrate. [14] [15] Within the force, SP serving as district chief, sends monthly reports to the DGP through Inspector General of Police (IGP) and DIG. [1]

In commissionerate system

Major cities in India have the commissionerate system of policing rather than the traditional SP-led system. In metropolitan areas, with a population exceeding 1 million, the commissionerate system is implemented. In this system, the Commissioner of Police serves as the head of the commissionerate. This system is also adopted in certain non-metropolitan urban areas. [16] In a commissionerate, an officer of SP rank may be appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). [18] ASPs may be appointed as the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). [6] In organizational hierarchy, a DCP holds a position below the Special Commissioner of Police (Special CP), Joint Commissioner of Police (Joint CP), Additional Commissioner of Police (Addl. CP), and Commissioner of Police. The post of the Commissioner of Police is held by DIG or above rank officers. [14] However, when there was shortage of higher-ranking officers, there have been instances when an SP was appointed as the Commissioner of Police in non-metropolitan areas. [19] The Commissioner of Police, holding the rank of DIG or above, may or may not be vested with some powers of executive magistrate, depending on whether the state government has granted such authority and the extent of the powers delegated. [16]

In 2013 and 2014, the Government of Tamil Nadu released two orders granting DCPs certain powers of the executive magistrate in CrPC, pertaining to executing bonds from habitual offenders. In 2023, the Madras High Court criticized and quashed the two orders, citing that they were unconstitutional and ultra vires the legal provisions, as they violated the Constitution of India and the Madras Police District Act, 1859. [20]

Other postings and deputation

In addition to having an SP as chief in each police district, other SP ranking officers may be appointed as the head of various units or specialised wings, such as telecommunication, traffic, vigilance, women's cell, special branch, crime branch, anti terrorist squad, among others. They can also be posted as Commandants of armed police battalion units. [21] Additionally, they can also be appointed as the director of state women's commission [22] and managing director of state-owned public sector companies. [23]

IPS officers in SP rank can also be deputed to central investigation, intelligence, and police organisations, such as but not limited to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Officers expressing willingness to be deputed with the Union government are nominated by the state cadre. Data from the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022 showed that most vacancies are in the rank of SP and DIG. Nominated officers are assessed by the Central Police Establishment Board (CPEB), and the selected names are sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for approval. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) is a rank used by several police forces in the Commonwealth and formerly in the British Empire. The rank is usually above assistant superintendent and below superintendent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Chennai Police</span> Division of the Tamil Nadu Police

The Greater Chennai Police, a division of the Tamil Nadu Police, is the law enforcement agency for the city of Chennai in India and the surrounding area. The city police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police and the administrative control vests with the Tamil Nadu Home Department. There are four sub-divisions of the Greater Chennai Police, and 104 police stations. The city's traffic is managed by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police. Chennai is the first city in India to introduce e-Beat system used to measure the daily routine and performance of the police personnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengaluru City Police</span> Law-enforcement agency of Bengaluru

The Bengaluru City Police (BCP), formerly Bangalore City Police, is the law-enforcement agency of the South Indian city of Bengaluru. The BCP works under the Karnataka State Police jurisdiction and is headed by the Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City, currently B.Dayananda, IPS is the Police Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajasthan Police</span> Law enforcement agency in Rajasthan, India

The Rajasthan Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Rajasthan in India. The Rajasthan Police has its headquarters in the Jaipur, the state capital. The motto of the force is "committed to serve".

Aftab Ahmed Khan was a former Indian police officer (IPS) and politician from Mumbai. He is noted for his encounter killings of gangsters from the Mumbai organized crime syndicates. He is also known as the founder of Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police ranks and insignia of India</span> List of police ranks in India

Police services in India comprises the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS, and Pondicherry Police Service recruited by the central government, along with various State Police Services recruited by state governments. As policing is a state subject, the structure and organization of police forces vary across states. In most state police forces, ranks below Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) are considered subordinates, while DSP and above are supervisory ranks. These officers are organized in a structured hierarchical order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttar Pradesh Police</span> Law enforcement agency of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Police, is the primary law enforcement agency within the Uttar Pradesh state of India. Established in 1863 as the Office of the Inspector General of Police, United Provinces under the Police Act, 1861.

Additional Superintendent of Police or Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, is a rank in Indian police forces. The officer holding this rank can be from the Indian Police Service (IPS) or from respective state police services like the Provincial Police Service (PPS), West Bengal Police Service (W.B.P.S.), Odisha Police Service (O.P.S.), Maharashtra Police Service (M.P.S.), Kerala Police Service (K.P.S.), etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanpur Nagar Police Commissionerate</span> Police unit in Kanpur Nagar, India

The Kanpur Nagar Police Commissionerate is the police department within the municipal limits of Kanpur. It is a part of Uttar Pradesh Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation in Kanpur city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram City Police</span> Police commissionerate in India

The Thiruvananthapuram City Police is the police force of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Thiruvananthapuram. It is headed by the Police Commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram, who is generally an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer holding the IG rank. There is currently 24 police stations in the city. White Patrol and mobile units are in operation and their movements are supervised by marshal units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andhra Pradesh Police</span> Police agency in india

The Andhra Pradesh Police is the law enforcement agency of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Public order and police being a state subject in India, the police force is headed by the Director general of police, Ch. D. Tirumala Rao, IPS At Headquarters Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uttarakhand Police</span> State Police Of Uttarakhand, India

The Uttarakhand Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Uttarakhand in India. It was formed in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madhya Pradesh Police</span> State police force in India

The Madhya Pradesh Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Madhya Pradesh in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jharkhand Police</span> Law enforcement agency

Jharkhand Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Jharkhand, India. Jharkhand Police was formed in 2000. Jharkhand Police is headed by Director General of Police and headquartered in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Jharkhand police have 4 levels of Joining. The Top positions are filled by Indian Police Service Officers recruited by the Union Public Service Commission. The Next Level of Recruitment is at Class II Level via D.S.P Rank recruited by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. Non-Gazetted officers are recruited at the sub inspector level by the Jharkhand Subordinate Service Commission. Other posts are filled by conducting recruitment rallies or direct recruitment examinations. The Jharkhand Police has nearly a Strength of about 149 IPS Officers. Against this sanctioned strength the State has only 100 IPS Officers allotted to it as on 2015 by the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA). Jharkhand is among the top Indian states for total recruitment. The current DGP of Jharkhand Police is Anurag Gupta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telangana Police</span> Indian state police force

The Telangana Police, officially known as the, Telangana State Police Department is the law enforcement agency for the state of Telangana in India. It has jurisdiction concurrent with the 33 revenue districts of the state. The police force was created from the remnants of the Andhra Pradesh Police after Telangana state was formed. It is headed by the Director general of police, Dr. Jitender, and headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala Police</span> Law enforcement agency for Kerala, India

The Kerala Police is the law enforcement agency for the Indian state of Kerala. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The motto of the force is "Mridhu Bhave Dhrida Kruthye" which means "Soft in Temperament, Firm in Action" in Sanskrit. It operates under the Department of Home, Government of Kerala. The force is headed by the State Police Chief, and the incumbent chief is Shaikh Darvesh Sahib, IPS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provincial Police Service (Uttar Pradesh)</span> Group A policing service of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh

Provincial Police Service, often abbreviated to as PPS, is the state civil service for policing of Uttar Pradesh Police comprising Group A and Group B posts. It is also the feeder service for Indian Police Service in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commissioner of Police (India)</span> Indian heads of the police force

Commissioners of Police in India are IPS officers who head the police force in a police commissionerate. A police commissionerate can combine several adjoining districts under it. A Police Commissioner may or may not hold certain powers of the executive magistrate, contrary to the Superintendent of Police (SP) or Senior SP (SSP) in charge of a police district who depends on the district magistrate to issue orders. Commissioner of Police (CP) is a post that can be held by an IPS officer of the rank SP and above, depending upon the sanction provided by the respective state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucknow Police</span> Police Department of Lucknow City

The Lucknow Police Commissionerate is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a police unit of Uttar Pradesh Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation in Lucknow district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varanasi Police Commissionerate</span> Police department of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

The Varanasi Police Commissionerate is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a unit of the Uttar Pradesh Police and has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Varanasi. It is headed by the Commissioner of Police (CP), who is an IPS officer of ADGP rank, and is assisted by two Additional Commissioners of Police who are of DIG rank, and two Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP), who are of SP rank.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bureau of Police Research and Development. "Functions, Roles and Duties of Superior Police Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Police Research and Development. pp. 17–24. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  2. ↑ The Hans India (19 May 2016). "IPS officers transferred". The Hans India . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Times News Network (24 December 2022). "IPS officers promoted". The Times of India . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Police Rank – Ratnagiri Police". Ratnagiri Police. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Machaiah, Gautham (7 August 2019). "To every CM his own top cop?". Deccan Herald . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Kumar, Munna (8 April 2023). "DSP Vs ASP: डीएसपी और एएसपी में क्या होता है फर्क, कौन पहले बनता है SP? जानें तमाम डिटेल". CNN-News18 (in Hindi). Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Tribune News Service (28 October 2015). "Rising from a constable to SP in 36 years". Tribune India . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Chaturvedi, Anviti (June 2017). "Analytical Reports - Police Reforms in India". PRS Legislative Research . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Kumar, Avinash (31 December 2022). "44 IPS officers shifted in Bihar, senior most to head Vigilance". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Times News Network (15 November 2022). "Police commissionerate restructured, dist has 3 zones". The Times of India . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Saikiran, K. P. (15 July 2018). "Government to bifurcate Kannur police district". The Times of India . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Powers & Duties of Officers | Superintendent of Police". Gandhinagar Police. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Special correspondent (11 July 2022). "Vivek Kumar is Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief". The Hindu . Retrieved 10 December 2023.{{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  14. 1 2 3 Tiwary, Deeptiman (15 January 2020). "Explained: What is a police commissionerate system?". The Indian Express . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  15. 1 2 Singh, Vikramjit; Pandey, Neeraj; R., Nishanthini (28 December 2022). "Impact of Police Commissionerate on Police Effectiveness and Policing Outcomes" (PDF). Bureau of Police Research and Development . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 Vij, R. K. (10 February 2020). "Explained: Why it's a good idea to have police commissioners in the bigger cities". The Indian Express . Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Section 4 in [ The Police Act, 1861 ]". Indian Kanoon . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  18. ↑ ANI (13 January 2020). "UP Cabinet introduces Police Commissionerate system for Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lucknow". Asian News International . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Dev, Arun (2 March 2023). "IPS shortage forces state to name SPs as commissioners". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  20. ↑ S., Mohamed Imranullah (13 March 2023). "Madras High Court quashes government orders empowering police to exercise powers of executive magistrates". The Hindu . Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Civil List as on 10-01-2020" (PDF). Comptroller and Auditor General of India. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  22. ↑ The Hindu Bureau (18 November 2022). "New postings for top police officers". The Hindu . Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  23. ↑ DHNS (14 November 2022). "Bengaluru gets new traffic police chief in major IPS shake-up". Deccan Herald . Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Singh, Vijaita (7 August 2022). "Only three IPS officers opt for Central deputation". The Hindu . Retrieved 6 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.