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).
Superintendents wear an epaulette bearing one pip below a crown, the same rank badge as a lieutenant-colonel and wear police caps with a laurel wreath across the brim to indicate seniority.
In the Irish language, a Garda superintendent is a ceannfort, which translates literally as "headman".
In the Italian Polizia di Stato, the rank of vicequestore equals a British police superintendent, while the rank of sovrintendente (Italian for superintendent) is a low-level rank, equal to a British or American police sergeant and also equal to sergeant in the Italian military.
The CPSP rank insignia follows the generic model of the Portuguese Public Security Police, with the insignia of senior officers consisting of epaulets that contain two crossed horsewhips inside a laurel wreath and PSP stars (six-point silver star with the "SP" monogram in the center) whose number defines the precise rank.
Superintendents are typically appointed as district commanders or directors of service centres, and the rank is also held by the commandant of the Royal New Zealand Police College.
It is above chief inspector and below senior superintendent and is regarded as the equivalent of lieutenant colonel in the Philippine Army.
In Portugal, superintendent (Portuguese: superintendente) is an officer rank in the Public Security Police (PSP).
The rank insignia of a superintendent consists of a dark blue epaulet with two crossed horsewhips inside a laurel wreath and three PSP stars arranged in an inverted triangle.
These three ranks fall under the senior police officer category.
Superintendents are typically appointed as regional commanders of police divisions.
The rank badge is a crown worn on the epaulettes, the same as a major in the British Army.
Originally, only the commissioners held a higher rank than superintendent (and they were not sworn police officers).
In 1839, Captain William Hay was appointed to the new rank of inspecting superintendent, replaced by assistant commissioner in 1856.
This lasted until 1974, when superintendent once more became a single rank, wearing a crown on the epaulettes.
[6] In most other forces, superintendent lay between inspector and assistant chief constable until well into the 20th century.