Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a deputy, e.g. a prison’s deputy governor.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1902		Wichita Dly Eagle (KS) 14 May 4/3: It means a bribe — yes, it do — but whether for the sheriff or dep — or — hold on — mebbe both.
1929		A.J. Barr Let Tomorrow Come 21: He was some kind of a one-barreled gambler before he was made dep.
1934		L. Berg Prison Nurse (1964) 57: You sure swing a mean ‘headache stick,’ don’t you, dep?
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 68: dep A deputy sheriff.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 57/2: Dep. 1. (P) The deputy warden; principal keeper.
1965		G. Melly Owning Up (1974) 159: Once the band had re-formed, once the days of deps and fill-ins were behind us, touring continued much as before.
1974		J. Charyn Marilyn The Wild (2003) 101: I have the First Dep’s warranty.
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 88: Called up the governor or dep, tells you you’re in prison, case you never noticed.
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 120: We was telling the warden, we was telling the dep, we was telling the captain [etc].