User:Lonesoldier55/sandbox

The spacelaw draft

Security's Role

The ultimate role of Security is to protect the crew and the station itself against threats internal and external (even though the crew is most often the larger of these two threats). Space Law exists to try and bring order and proteciton to the entire crew, so your actions to that end should reflect that. If you do something in good faith with intent to protect the crew (this includes the arrested!), odds are you have made a good choice given the situation.

Above all, Space Law is a guideline, not a rule. Use your best judgement when deciding the course of action to take in a situation as you are not required to follow the law to the letter. Remember that the crew you detain or arrest are players too, and its no fun to throw those players in the permabrig all game for a comparatively minor offense.

Enforcing Space Law

Enforcing the law is, loosely put, stopping the crew from doing illegal things. This varies a little bit (like if drugs are considered illegal) but in general the biggest thing you need to look out for are things like contraband, illicit access, and obviously, physical harm and murder. Offenders must be subdued and brigged where possible, but ultimately your duty is to protect the crew and the innocent.

Security has the difficult task of trying to quickly assess a situation and make the best possible choice with usually little to no information. Breaking up a fight, for example, usually results in one person arrested, who claims they were in the right, and the other person running away scott free. Make your best possible judgement with what you have and try to use less-forceful options where it may be applicable.

Lethality

Security is expected to remain non-lethal when the situation logically permits it. If you kill someone, you are usually expected to get them to the cloner and properly arrest them (or, deeply apologize if it was an accident and probably get demoted). It is almost always preferable to arrest someone rather then to kill them on the spot, but circumstances can enable the use of lethal force as an option if you so deem it needed (example, red-hardsuited nuclear operatives breaching the station and gunning down the crew? You better believe they are open season and left where they fall until there is no longer a threat).

Lethal Force Situations against the Crew

Remember that where possible, Less Lethal force is usually preferred. Harming someone with lethal force when the situation could have probably been resolved more effectively with less lethal is not a good look for you and should be avoided where possible. Do not laser people to death after they collapse into crit unless you have a very, very good reason to do so, as you are expected to effect an arrest and tend to them instead of killing them outright.

Situations where lethal force may be permissible against a crew member:

• Lethal force (such as firearms or deadly melee weapons i.e energy swords, fire axes) used against you or a fellow innocent crewmember - This permits you to fire back lethally if such means are available to defend yourself or another crew member from attack (but if you make the wrong call on the situation, be prepared to answer for it, less lethal is preferred where possible)
• Less lethal options expended, criminal cannot be safely allowed to escape - If you only have lethal force left after exhausting other options and whoever you are chasing poses a threat to the station or crew (likely to cause harm to the crew or station assets, i.e stealing weapons, high value ID cards or other equipment, or syndicate agents), lethal can be used to INCAPACITATE them (not kill) to effect an arrest. This is less preferable but acceptable.
• Less lethal firearms or stunning weapons used against you - Generally you should meet this with your own less-lethal weapons, but it is safe to say if someone tases you and cuffs you, you are completely at their mercy and may be killed. If the totality of the situation permits, you may engage someone with stolen less-lethal weaponry with your own lethal weaponry to effect an arrest.
• Rioting/Overwhelming Odds - Groups of rioters or criminals who definitively equal or outnumber the immediately present security force and who intend to cause damage to the station, violence to another person, or otherwise disrupt station function can be engaged with lethal weapons if they do not disperse after being explicitly told to do so and warned that any remaining offenders will be engaged.

CONSIDERATIONS

SEARCH - A thorough search of one's immediate belongings to uncover contraband. Technically speaking, you can do this to anyone at any time, though cooperation may vary. It is usually best to develop some sort of suspicion as to person's involvement in a crime before you search them. A witness claiming someone has a stolen ID, for example, gives you a good reason to search the alleged suspect for a stolen ID as described.

REPEAT OFFENDERS - Offenders you have previously brigged or reprimanded for a similar crime in the past. Some people never learn, so repeat offenders should have their sentencing increased depending on number and severity of offenses. Use your best judgement here. Two or three minor thefts in a row is still just moderate brig time for the most part, but two or three arrests for aggravated batteries or attempted homicides probably warrants a permabrig.

BRIG TIME GUIDELINES USED

Anyone being brigged needs to be searched. Search them thoroughly and confiscate contraband or other illicit equipment.

NO BRIG TIME - Brigging is not really seen as required for this crime as the initial detaining and search usually warrants enough of an interruption. MINOR BRIG TIME - 1-3 minutes or so, for repeat offenders of NO BRIG crimes or for minor crimes, depending on circumstance. MODERATE BRIG TIME - 3-6 minutes or so, for major repeat offenders or for most average crimes, depending on circumstance. MAJOR BRIG TIME - 6-10 minutes or more, for repeat offenders who haven't learned after five times and for most serious crimes which do not elevate to a permabrig. Use best judgement and consider the circumstances.

PERMABRIG - However long you see fit or however long it takes them to suicide. The golden rule here is this: If you think releasing them from the brig is probably much more danger to the crew then not, AND you have a valid reason to keep them in the permabrig, use this. Releasing someone from permabrig can easily be done so just let them know that if they behave they can be let out. It is also much easier to recover a bad permabrigging then it is to recover from a bad execution; so keep that in mind if you're on dubious ground of what to do when stuck between those two.

EXECUTION - However long it takes you to kill them. Executions typically need to be approved by your Head of Security and the Captain and be backed up by a really, really good reason. Generally speaking, permabrig/execution are interchangable, but don't get gun happy because poor executions look really, REALLY bad to the crew and to administrators. Permabrig is the preferred option unless the permabrig has been rendered unlivable/unsecure or you have great reason to believe your offender needs to die.

Remember: circumstance is important in your assessment of sentencing. Someone who is cooperative, apoligetic, or was commiting the crime to genuinely help someone or the station can probably be left off easier. Someone who is lying, intensely uncooperative, threatening to kill or bomb all of security, or threatening to call the admins you can probably let stew a little longer in the cell.

CRIMES

This is a very generalized list of types of crimes you may run into and the elements of them. The elements of a crime are what need to be met to be guilty of it. Remember that it is poor form to brig someone just because you "think" they committed a crime, you should have very good reason to believe they did or have personally witnessed it. For example, arresting someone because someone else claims they stole their ID, but not finding any contraband in the person's possession, doesn't mean you should keep them arrested since you have no way of knowing if the victim is just lying.

TRESPASSING

• Trespassing - Being in a secured area one is not supposed to be in or should not have access to (be careful as the HoP may have assigned them access to the area -- double check with him or her). Offenders who do not have any logical reason or purpose to be in a specific location should be removed and searched for anything that may have been stolen from the secured area, if such a possibility is suspected. Brig time is not generally necessary unless a repeat offender or the area is higher security. Double-check ID cards with the HoP and ensure the HoP actually gave that person access if any doubt exists.
• Tresspassing in a High Security Area - Being in a high security or sensitive area one is not supposed to be in. The Bridge, Engineering, the Armory, and all the manner of incredibly sensitive areas of the station. This carries a higher penalty due to the sensitive nature of these areas. The offender should be searched regardless of if anything is suspected of being stolen. Brig time ranges from minor to moderate, depending on circumstance.

THEFT

• Petit Theft - Theft/stealing of minor items of little practical importance with intent to keep it from the rightful owner. Shoes, materials, food, very low level IDs like assistant IDs, etc. Typically this only warrants a reprimand and return of stolen property to the owner, no brig time unless repeat offender.
• Theft - Theft/stealing of miscellaneous items that have practical importance. Department ID cards (engineering, medbay, etc), hoarding emergeny supplies or equipment, stealing machines or gear related to job functions, and theft of most personal effects from crew etc. Return of stolen property and minor brig time.
• Grand Theft - Theft/stealing of sensitive items and equipment. High-level (head of staff) IDs, nuclear disk and codes, head's of staff personal equipment, firearms, guns, and other things of extreme importance. Return of stolen property and depending on circumstance moderate to major brig time. "I found it in disposals" is not a valid excuse.

VANDALAISM/CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

• Minor Vandalism - Breaking of station equipment or property of little general importance. Breaking interior windows, tampering with airlocks to non-secure areas, tearing up floor tiles, smashing lights. Unless a repeat offender, no to minor brig time after a reprimand.
• Major Vandalism - Breaking of sensitive station equipment or hampering the station in general. Breaking windows to secure areas, destroying infrastructure for no reason, cutting wires, tampering with airlocks to a degree that they are non functional. This also includes building or placing structures in a way that impedes general movement, i.e building walls across the main hallways so nobody can pass. Minor to moderate brig time after a reprimand.
• Sabotage - Intentional breaking or destroying sensitive station equipment which endangers the well-being of the station. Atmospheric sabotage, breaking windows to space, sabotaging or destroying substations or SMES units, sabotaging power generation, breaking into secure areas, etc. Moderate brig time to Permabrig/Execution depending on severity and scope of the damage and consequences thereof (sabotaging the entire station's power: you will probably be executed because its not fun to fix)

ASSAULT/BATTERY, VIOLENT CRIMES

• Fighting/Affray/Brawling - Whatever you want to call getting into a fight with someone else in public. Unless both parties agree to fight one another, you should try to break these up as it usually results in one side getting killed. Discourage public fighting and seperate the two, brig the instigator (or both if the situation requires) for minor brig time if required.

• Assault - Assault consitutes the threat of violence to someone without actually carrying out the threat. This isn't really a crime as you can't really do anything if no action has actually been taken. Keep an eye on these types of reports though as they can be helpful clues to potential future conflicts.

• Battery - Unwanted physical contact between two parties. Disarming, pushing, shoving, punching, hitting, pulling, stripping, all is really covered under battery. Seperate the offender(s) and victim(s) as best you can and try to determine an instigator if any (sometimes both parties are going to be at fault so use your best judgement). Minor brig time depending on the severity of interference, up the charge steadily for repeat offenses.
• Aggravated Battery - Unwanted physical contact which causes great bodily injury to the victim. Beating someone pretty good or into critical condition to the point where they need to go to medbay usually constitutes this. Given station cloning and medbay being available, if they make an effort to bring the victim to medbay or give them aid after the crime you may want to be a little more lenient. Minor to Moderate brig time depending on severity.

• Kidnapping/Abudction/False Improisonment - Intentionally and without a valid purpose restraining or restricting someone's movement in such a way that they cannot freely move or act. This would include cuffing someone and dragging them around, welding someone into a locker or crate, bolting them into an area, or other methods of impeding someone's free movement. Only assign this charge if there is not a valid purpose to restrain the victim. If the victim is being held to stop them from commiting crimes, then that's just the "suspect" being a good samaritan.

INTERFERING WITH SECURITY/RESISTING

• Resisting Without Violence - Resisting an arrest without causing undue harm to officers or the crew. Generally, this constitutes running away from an arrest attempt, moving away from cuffing attempts, or other evasive actions taken by someone you are trying to arrest to get away from you. Its generally an add-on charge and would constitute minor brig time.
• Resisting With Violence - Resisting an arrest while trying to hurt or disable those effecting the arrest. Disarming you to gain control of your weapons or open violence with melee weapons or firearms are both examples of this. Generally an add-on charge and consitutes minor to major brig time depending on the circumstance.
• Obstruction of Justice/Interfering with an Arrest - This is the absolute favorite of every greytider in the halls. This is any outside person's actions to inhibit your efforts to arrest someone, whether or not they believe the arrest to be vaild is irrelevant. Attempting to uncuff a detainee, pulling detainees away or otherwise removing them from your control, or directly attacking officers involved in an arrest can all be examples of this. Anything from Moderate bring time to Permabrig, depending on the danger and severity of the person you are arresting. If they manage to let a known traitor or murderer get free, consider a much heavier punishment when you catch them.

HOMICIDE/MURDER

• Attempted Homicide - A situation where you believe that if someone hadn't directly intervened that someone was in imminent threat of dying. A good example of this is someone who continues to beat someone down even after they are in critical condition. If you can seperate them before the victim dies, this can be an appropriate charge. Moderate to Major brig time.
• Manslaughter - A situation where someone negligently kills or allows a human being to die without intending to kill them. This is similar to attempted homicide and differs with the victim's death only. The suspect has to have some role in the death of the victim and has to have exhibited some kind of poor behavior that wouldn't be expected which caused them to die. A good example is opening a spaced area knowing full well it was spaced or letting someone in critical condition whom they beat die of their wounds. This is moderate to major brig time and is easier to work with then attempted homicide.

• Homicide - Wilful killing of another human being. This can obviously be observed directly but it could be implied or used in another way. A good example is an (in person) confession from the killer, multiple witness testimony, or circumstantial evidence that could point the suspect to have "more likely then not" killed the victim (example: finding the ID card of the deceased person among the suspect's possessions and having the deceased's body after it was stashed somewhere are two pretty strong connective pieces of evidence that makes it look very likely they pilfed the ID and hid the body to avoid blame, but don't get too overzealous as people may pick up IDs they find on corpses anyhow. Make sure you clone your victim and get his side of the story too). Moderate brig time to Permabrig, depending on any other crimes committed, their prior history that shift, and any other factors at play (example: self defense, while a dubious claim at best, might mitigate the sentence somewhat)

• Aggravated Homicide - Willful killing of another human being where efforts are made to inhibit cloning or other measures to bring them back to the realm of the living. Sabotoge of the cloner connected to a murder, gibbing or spacing bodies of recently deceased and uncloned crew, or attempting to hide corpses in unreachable locations among other activities. Essentially if they know they did a murder and try to do their best to hide it and stop the dead man from telling a tale, give them this one. Major brig time to permabrig or execution depending on factors at play, be smart about it.

TREASON/CONTRABAND

• Treason - Definitive evidence that the suspect is more likely then not working for a hostile entity, such as the Syndicate. Being in possession of highly restricted and dangerous contraband known to be used by Syndicate Agents only, without an extremely good excuse, is generally considered enough evidence of this crime. This includes anyone wearing syndicate space suits, gear, syndicate weapons, espionage equipment, etc. Any such contraband of that nature should immediately be siezed, the one in possession arrested, searched, and questioned. This crime runs Major brig time to Execution, highly dependent on the demeanor of the suspected and any additonal crimes (having just contraband alone is not reason to jump to an execution or permabrigging). Known agents should also have their PDAs siezed as these are known to contain Syndicate Uplinks which allow them access to illicit contraband.

For syndicate agents, take the whole picture into account. If your suspect is nonviolent and mostly cooperative, you can probably confiscate the contraband, give him a few minutes in the brig, and release him while keeping an eye on him. If your suspect is obviously uncooperative, resisting at every moment, and/or has previously attacked, attempted to kill, or successfully killed someone, consider permabrigging them for everyone's safety instead of letting them run loose. If you can artuculate that they'll be a threat to the crew at large, you can usually justify keeping them behind bars. Nature of the contraband is important as well. Espionage equipment like Agent ID's are much less dangerous then guns, explosives, and energy swords.

• POSESSION OF CONTRABAND - Anyone who is in positive control of (in their direct possession or has it in an area only they would logically be able to access) items deemed to be illegal (such as syndicate equipment or restricted items like the RCD, or essentially anything that you have good reason to believe has been stolen from its rightful owner, that they would not have access to), without approval, is guilty of possessing contraband. DO NOT ARREST PEOPLE FOR THIS if they voluntarily turn it into security. You do not want to burn that bridge. It is generally better to accept contraband turned in on good faith with no questions asked, but circumstances permitting you may press your investigation further. This crime runs anywhere from no brig time to major brig time depending on the amount and nature of contraband siezed.

MULTIPLE CRIMES

Obviously criminals like to do multiple crimes to be efficient. Your battery charge might also have an ID theft attached to it, or your murder might have six more murders and sabotage attached to it. Use your best judgement and generally go with the most severe crime. As far as multiple similar crimes are concerned, a victim of a Homicide also doesn't get to be a victim of a Battery by the same person, make sure its logical.