VCU Course: State Police Policies
The Ministry of Love, being responsible for law enforcement in Oceania, has the responsibility to ensure a consistent and proper level of dedication and service to Big Brother. The following policies and procedures are to be considered the standard for all Officers and members of the Ministry of Love are to conduct themselves in. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in discipline to include termination and possible criminal charges.
Minimum Employment Requirements
- No Criminal Background (Minor Offenses may be waived by the Inner Party.)
- Finances to cover employment screening, driver's license et cetera
- Pass an oral board interview (Conducted with the Precinct Commander )
- Have an active driver's license.
General Enforcement of the Laws
Officers must be diligent in their patrols to enforce the laws of Oceania but must be fair and not cruel in the execution of their duties. For minor offenses officers are encouraged to give verbal warnings and tickets while violent criminal acts such as crimes against a person warrant detainment.
Oceanic Laws pertaining to Crimes Against a Person (Chapter I) as well as Crimes Against Public Justice & INGSOC (Chapter IV) are considered the most serious offenses and should be addressed with exceptional priority and diligence.
Ticketing & Citations
Citations otherwise called tickets are financial penalties levied against an individual for a legal infraction. When issuing a citation/ticket the officer must log them into CORE Citations Database using the template or make an entry on the Duty Roster of the day. If circumstances prevent the use of CORE ensure a supervisor is notified and the details of the citation are relayed to them. Officers are not to collect money from civilians to pay for tickets. All tickets are to be paid to the Ministry of Plenty.
Levels of Proof
In order to proceed with law enforcement based action there are certain burdens of proof that must be met, two key definitions are :
Reasonable Suspicion : Based on specific and articulable facts, taken together with rational inferences from those facts, the suspicion must be associated with a specific individual using the reasonable officer standard. Would a reasonable officer find xyz alarming, suspicious or potentially indicative of criminal behavior.
Probable Cause : Information sufficient to warrant a prudent person's belief that an individual had committed a crime. I.e witnesses, evidence
Field Examples:
Voluntary encounter / conversation between Police & Citizens : No evidence required.
Personal Pat Search in Government Building : No Evidence Required
Involuntary stop / detainment / interview : Reasonable Suspicion
Personal Pat Search : Reasonable Suspicion
Property Search : Reasonable Suspicion
Ability to Detain / Arrest : Probable Cause
Searches : Personal & Property
A personal search, pat search, pat frisk can be conducted on a citizen upon establishing reasonable suspicion UNLESS that person is on government property or has intent to enter government property or building in which all individuals are subject to search.
Property searches and raids can be conducted upon establishing reasonable suspicion that the property is harboring criminal activity. Properties owned or associated with detained individuals is subject to search. When in doubt clear a property search with a supervisor.
Arrest & Detainment
If probable cause has been determined through evidence, witnesses or other knowledge that an individual has violated a Law of Oceania, then an individual may be detained. Individuals who committed an offense that is punishable by fine may be held while the officer processes the paperwork and gathers additional information pertaining to the case.
Upon arrest a citizen's identification information to include name and citizen number are collected. Their person is to be searched for any contraband to include weapons, items that could cause a disruption, cause self harm, aid in an escape, or items related to the case before being placed inside a detainment cell. All items removed should be documented in CORE and placed through the evidence window.
Once the officer has safely secured the detained individual they should file an arrest report into CORE with a brief description of the events that led to the arrest or supporting facts of evidence. Should there be an issue a supervisor should be informed and apprised of all relevant facts.
Subjects that are eligible for release must have their information verified before being let go to include a CORE check and having a supervisor's approval. All legal items that were removed from their person should be returned to them.
Assigning Penalties
Initial penalties pertaining to an offense are assigned by the officer issuing the citation or detainment order for the violation of Oceania Law. Officers are free and welcome to exercise discretion based on the circumstances of the case within the guidelines established by the law, however some laws have flat fines or criminal sentences. Officers may not exercise punishment outside the guidelines of the offense an individual is being charged with.
More serious offenses are often reviewed by a Magistrate for an official ruling on the facts of a case in which case the Magistrate has the final authority regarding the penalties assigned to an individual. A magistrate may also accept an appeal to adjust the penalties assigned.
Uniform Policy
Whilst on patrol or on duty, State Police Officers are expected to be in full uniform. There are two styles of uniform within the state police, Class A and Class B. Class A uniform shall be considered the dress uniform whilst the Class B shall be the normal patrol uniform. Officers should be discouraged from using ballistic vest or traffic vest as a matter of routine unless there is a credible threat that warrants the use of it.
Plainclothes operations must be disclosed to all working officers so that there is not accidental friendly discharge or confusion that could jeopardize officer safety. Plain clothes operations must be approved by a supervisor.
Officers and Sergeants shall wear a grey button up shirt and black tie with clip while Lieutenants and Captains shall wear a white button up shirt and black tie.
Structure
The Ministry of Love State Police uses a paramilitary rank structure. While there are MiniLuv Bureaucrats that have control over the State Police as a whole, a Captain is in charge of each precinct. In the event there are multiple Captains the senior most Captain shall lead the precinct with the other designated as a 'Relief Captain' tasked with filling in on time off and assisting in administrative duties.
Each precinct shall have their patrol areas divided and have a Lieutenant and a Sergeant tasked with overseeing the patrol areas. For downtown Victory City the Patrol Areas are Government Center (Black Road Signs), Victory Heights (Maroon Road Signs), and lastly the Prole Quarter (White Signs.)
Additional supervisors shall also act as 'relief' to aid in the fulfillment of the duties of supervising staff. Supervisors have special access to sensitive areas as well as the evidence locker.
Firearm Permits
Firearms applications shall be conducted in a manor that is consistent with Oceanic General Law governing Firearm Permits. Any officer may assist a civilian in their request to fill out an application for a permit, to include a background interview, however, all firearm's applications must be processed by a Lieutenant or higher rank.
Firearm permit status may be checked in CORE. A permit is not valid unless it is listed as active / valid in CORE.
Evidence & Contraband & Property
Evidence shall be classified as any item that directly relates to the criminal charges being levied against an individual such as tools and weapons used to commit the crime or aid criminal activity. Evidence is important to collect and store within the secure evidence room accessible to only authorized supervisors.
Contraband are items found on a person that include weapons, items that could cause a disruption, cause self harm or otherwise aid in an escape. Individuals who are detained with money in excess of $10,000 are to have their excess money removed and stored within the evidence room with such act documented in CORE.
Property are items that are found that have no evidentiary value and do not constitute as contraband requiring the security of the evidence lockup. These items may be stored on the lost and found shelf for members of the public to claim at their leisure. Officers are free to take these items as their own.
All evidence and contraband placed in the evidence room window should be documented with a supervisor, or logged into CORE so that said items can be brought into evidence in trial or returned when applicable upon the completion of an individual's sentence.
Use of Force
Law Enforcement may use lethal force if at anytime their life or the safety of the general public is at direct risk for loss of life or serious bodily injury.
In the event that safe apprehension of a suspect is not believed to be possible the Ministry of Love shall coordinate an effective strategy to apprehend the person to avoid the loss of life. Officers are expected to actively respond to a situation based on the facts available to them and use a proper amount of force.
If a lockdown is declared via authorized broadcast, the threshold for use of lethal of force is lowered to anyone refusing direct orders as anyone who ignores such orders may be part of Goldstein's Conspiracy that warranted the lockdown.
Level 3 - Serious Bodily Harm or Death : Firearms are authorized to be used and discharged.
Level 2 - Active Noncompliance : Baton, fist, cuffs and non firearm related means to control.
Level 1 - Compliant : No level of force, use verbal directives.
Use of Marked Vehicles
Each officer shall be assigned a patrol vehicle number in which will be their primary vehicle. The cruiser number shall be the call sign of the officer. Emergency lights and sirens are to be used for emergency response and roadway hazards.
If multiple patrolmen are assigned to the same cruiser and report for duty at the same time they ride together unless a cruiser change was authorized by a supervisor.
It is forbidden for any officer to use a state vehicle for purposes outside fulfilling his assigned duties of conducting law enforcement activities and providing safety to the people of Oceania.
Radios
All patrolmen and above are issued a radio that is to be tuned to general purpose channel. Radios are crucial for coordinated policing and officer safety. Anyone working out of the Precinct as a dispatcher is referred to as “Base” or “Control” whilst officers on patrol shall be referred to as the cruiser or post they are assigned to work.
Emergency Transmissions require the information be relayed such as the LOCATION, nature of the emergency, if weapons are involved and so forth. All officers are equipped with a body alarm that activates should an officer become unconscious which will ping the last known area to all officers working.
Reports
There may be times where an incident is noteworthy but not inherently illegal or may lack sufficient evidence for detainment. A general report may be filed in CORE so that the matter may be noted or followed up on by investigators. These reports are crucial for creating a paper trail that can lead to the conviction of dangerous offenders. Alternatively an officer may make use of the daily shift roster to enter a brief account of the incident. Always include name, ID in any report to create a paper trail.
Any use of force, or subject death in custody shall require a report.
Shift Roster
The duty roster is a component of the State Police sections within CORE. The duty roster features a list of the officers who worked that day, supervisory warnings & alerts, as well as events that may have happened throughout the day. Officers upon reporting for duty are expected to add themselves to the daily duty roster and file any events of importance to include warnings on the duty roster following the format established.
Events that happen, I.e tickets, arrest, other incidents of importance or to note will be documented as a note under that main record. These notes would be 1-2 sentences and just basically include the names and identifications of involved parties. EXAMPLES:
John Smith #123456 littered on 3rd Ave. Warning Jane Smith #123456 assaulted Carl Jones #567890 on 5th Ave.
A supervisor will review it and determine if its report worthy.
