I Fought the Law, How Would the Law Win? A question about Sheriff Procedure in a fantastical USA.

Okay, so let me start the ball rolling, here. Apologies if it gets a bit verbose and long-winded. What first led me to the Cooler is a scenario where I'd written myself into a corner, and couldn't come up with a reasonable answer on my own. For the last few months, I've been tinkering with an Urban Fantasy set in the Southwestern USA (think Arizona-ish, and you'd be reading my mind. Stop that, by the way, it ain't a library!). It's been structured as a small novella, and I've been going for a modernized mixture of the typical Western/Samurai story: the drifter-hero rides into town, finds it beset by some issue, then rides off.

That's all well and good, but chronologically, it's a story set in present day - with the addition of elves and dwarves and the like as well as some low-key magic and general weird crap. Generally history in this shadow of our world went in similar directions, but at some point, something happened which left the world with less organization and coordination. Communications aren't always great, though internet still works (sometimes). Mostly, the difference that concerns me is in law enforcement and military responses.

Let me say right out, my main bugaboo is having a threat to the town that the local Sheriff's department can't handle, which is where Our (reluctantly) Intrepid Hero comes in. The trick is that I want to portray the local law as competent and doing the best they can. They aren't equipped to deal with the problem like the hero is, but I still want them to put in a valiant and intelligent effort to deal with the problem.

As it stands, I have decided that overall, only cities and such have dedicated Police Departments, with the Sheriff Offices doing their best to cover the smaller towns and villages. Federal and military resources are... extremely tight, due to just a lack of manpower.

One bit of writing that I did narrated an outright attack on the town by a gang of supernatural bikers who have been paid to stir up trouble and incite fear in the residents, but I hated it. Originally, I had a few Deputies go to confront them, but it didn't feel right. So aside from a confrontation, I need to know what other measures a Sheriff's Department might take in order to deal with the threat. Who would they call for backup? How would they deal with people shooting up the town (in this case, a small town out in the boonies, a bit away from most bigger places)?

Depending on the concepts tossed about, I have been considering an alternative in having the threat to the town not be so big and brazen, with the bikers hovering at the edges and being menacing. Then, I could get away with having one Deputy and his partner investigating and getting themselves into trouble. But I would still need to figure out the procedurals.

Anyway, I know that's all a bit rambly. It's something that's been bugging me for awhile, and I'm curious to see if there're any law enforcement officials (or anybody else) who can offer some insight.

Thanks in advance!

WriteKnight said:

Okay - your world your rules. But here are my thoughts based on what info you've given.

Town is too small to have dedicated police force. Check.

Town is serviced by Sheriff's department because they are rural, isolated and too small to have dedicated force. Check.

This is effectively the situation all over the country, yes. Whatever great catastrophe struck, it left a lot of destabilization in its wake, so coordination amongst those who deal with law enforcement isn't as tightly-managed as it is in real life.

Sheriffs department in THIS world - is overseen by the COUNTY government. So they send the Sheriffs in.

Over the county government, rests STATE control. So the Sheriff turns to... WHO you ask? Well, is there a STATE TROOPER or STATE PATROL or STATE RANGER department? That would work.

Beyond that - you might skip over state level authority. You have magic and fantasy elements. Can you call in the 'magic FBI'? Call on the state or federal Supernatural Bureau for help?

The State Troopers would probably be a valid next step up the chain, but I can't see them dealing with the situation that differently. The Feds would be an ideal solution - in the world I'm crafting, most local law enforcement officers have little to no formal training in the supernatural other than possible ways to control or contain it. Bigger city police departments might have access to magical training for 'specialists' like detectives or the odd SWAT mage. The Alphabet Agencies all have their own specialists, of course, but there are really only so many to go around and the average Fed with the right training probably has a hefty chunk of backlog to deal with and manage. I've got in mind that later on into the story, an FBI Agent -does- show up, so it's just a matter of figuring out how the locals would try to manage the situation until then. That's without counting on the intervention of the hero, of course.

They are too busy putting down problems somewhere else. The Lone Gunman rides into town. "One Riot - One Ranger"

That work?

Click to expand...

It's a good start, thank you. I think the current issue I'm dealing with is still as follows: a bunch of dirty bikers comes roaring into town and starts shooting up the place. Assuming the Sherriff's boys move to confront them, I'd need to know how they'd do so. And if they wouldn't confront them, I'd need to have some clue of what approach they'd take.

Thanks again!

Graz said:

Clint Eastwood movie, maybe High Plains Drifter. Man with No Name rides into town. Flashbacks show his brother was beaten to death by outlaws as the town watched. I think his brother was the Sherriff. Same outlaws are heading back into town, whole town petrified. They hire Clint to save them, give him a blank check. He takes guns, food, booze, best room in hotel and their women. Trains locals on guerilla-like fighting tactics. Paints whole town red. They kill bad guys. But, it's been awhile since I saw the movie. Some local bigwigs didn't like Clint, I think a few of them were killed, business' burned down, etc. A dwarf has a supporting role.

How about a cyber-attack from China or N. Korea that wipes out communications. Internet, TV and radio all sketchy.

Click to expand...

High Plains Drifter is a neat movie. Gives me some ideas, though. I had been toying around with the idea that the local Sheriff is corrupt and keeping help from adequately reaching the area.

I am thinking that some form of 'cyber attack' had happened, though it has been a few years and the worst of it has died off. Heavily populated areas have been internet and etc. Smaller places like the one in my story have... poor signal and are effectively living off the grid.

Those are intriguing ideas, actually, and ones I had sort of been considering.

The problem is that this is a little further up the line than my particular issue. My issue is this:

If I'm a deputy Sheriff and I haven't been told of some agenda, I'm going to be operating under a 'protect and serve' mentality. If a bunch of thugs comes roaring into the local town and starts shooting it up or causing a disturbance, what is my plan of action? I would assume that if there are more of them than there are of me and whatever partner I've got, you'd have to call in for backup.

In the instance that there would be a confrontation, how would it be handled in such a way as to handle the town's safety?

And how does it all fall apart when shooting some feral biker with a shotgun only makes him mad? My issue is that I don't really know the 'rules of engagement' and have nobody really local whom I could ask.

That actually DOES help. I'm still a bit foggy on some of the particulars of the initial encounter, but it gives me some idea of how to handle things immediately after the first encounter goes down the tubes for the local law. Even gives me some idea of what immediate steps some of the bad guys take, too.

Thanks!

Inching closer and closer to comprehension! \o/