Building your own police force

Sam K. · Feb 3, 2012

Unfortunately for me, a lot of my stories involve a lot of police work. While I've researched the (British) police force extensively, I still don't believe I'm capable of writing it believably, especially when considering the speculative factors.

So, I've come to the conclusion that it is time for me to start "building" my own version of a police force - since the shorts in question live in a world I built up a few years ago, something of a dystopian future, I don't think an entirely new police force would be unbelievable, as long as I keep the basics.

My current idea is that, due to the war this universe revolves around, the police force is very depleted in numbers, and therefore has come to operate under different systems - i.e. a lot of inter-departmental work, all part of one body rather than different jurisdictions etc.

However, I'm struggling a little on how exactly to do this believably. I wonder if a) anyone had their own experiences in building a law enforcement body for their spec fic (science fiction, especially) or if b) anyone had any recommendations on books or shorts that do this effectively? Or even c) any articles or blog posts that deal with this issue?

I really want to make it believable and to cover all aspects of law enforcement, given that whatever I come out with will be used in most of the things I do surrounding this universe, so help would be appreciated.

Lenny Jennison · Feb 3, 2012

Sam K. said:
However, I'm struggling a little on how exactly to do this believably. I wonder if a) anyone had their own experiences in building a law enforcement body for their spec fic (science fiction, especially) or if b) anyone had any recommendations on books or shorts that do this effectively? Or even c) any articles or blog posts that deal with this issue?

I see your challenge and let's see if we can make our own.

first you need a chain of command. captain all the way down to patrol. each department needs a head. i wish i could draw a diagram in here.

first, you need a building that will not only hold your offices, jail, rooms for the break room, interrogation rooms, squad rooms, and each special department will need their own area (swat, drug task force, visiting agencies offices)

You will also need an evidence room, weapons room, area for secretaries and police who are on paper duty.

personnel: you will need uniformed cops, detectives, secretaries, some even have money handling areas to pay fines, jailers, lieutenants, drug task force, warrant servers/collectors, swat, and now school reps, mechanics

make sure you have the vehicle motor pool (which will also take an administrator), the mechanics that work on the cars, the guys who make sure that the lights and emblems are properly on the cars, the weapons room and evidence rooms are a must. when looking for weapons to stock your arsenal with, make sure you find the latest gear to sound current

ok, i am sure i missed a bunch, but hopefully this will get you started.

RichardGarfinkle · Feb 4, 2012

You should also consider where your police force comes from. Is it the remnants of other older police entities or did it emerge from some other group?

For example:

A militia that arose to protect an area could easily become a police force. Its goal might be more oriented toward keeping the peace than solving crimes.

An inquisitorial church that developed into law enforcement might be more concerned with orthodoxy.

A police force that grew up around a forensics lab would be more detective oriented and so on.

Give the group a structure that fits with its origins and self-perceived jobs. Give it whatever authority fits your society. This may be completely Big Brother dystopian break-enter-arrest-torture etc, or it might be carefully circumscribed by a society that does not trust police etc.

Make the police force that fits your world and your needs for it.

One more thing:
Your organization will be more believable if you not only show how it does its job, but what its blind spots and prejudices are, just as a human character is more believable if it also has its flaws.

ironmikezero · Feb 4, 2012

Is your dystopian future setting more urban or rural? What density of population? Level of technology, resources, etc..? All will have a bearing on the type of law enforcement employed.

Examples of successful urban applications (for the UK) would be the efforts of Sir Robert Peel...

http://www.met.police.uk/history/peel.htm

And (for the US) the NYPD...

http://guides.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/nypd .

In a more rural setting, I'd recommend researching the U.S. Marshals. The work of Frederick S. Calhoun may be more in line with what you might need.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140154116/?tag=absowrit-20

http://www.usmarshals.gov/history/oldest.htm

Luciamaria · Feb 4, 2012

I've sort of invented a police force, but it's not too weird. All the officers are a little stirred in the head - or the commanders are, at any rate. There was the one crazy General, who commanded a bunch of captain-ish whatever people, who commanded lots of other little people - like a small army.

Just an idea.

Cavalier · Feb 6, 2012

This reminds me of an article in The New York Times about the New Orleans Police Department and its attempts to hold some semblance to order during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The structure was falling apart, with officers deserting and some even resorting to crime themselves to survive.

Although it sounds like you're holding a pretty tight chain of command, the incidents revolving around Katrina might be a good jumping point for any sort of "necessary" corruption involved in a dystopian future.

Building your own police force

Sam K.

Lenny Jennison

RichardGarfinkle

Second Edition and Second Laughter

ironmikezero

practical experience, FTW

Luciamaria

Cavalier

Verschränkung baby!