Police Procedure

Or How to Play a Police Char on Windy City

Arrest Procedures

BY WARRANT:

A warrant is an order describing the person to be arrested and the charge made; it is issued by a magistrate or judge upon the complaint of someone - on the mux, this means either a PC Judge or an NPC judge via myjobs. It directs all law enforcement officers of the state or, in some cases, authorizes a private person by name to arrest the person named in the complaint. The arrested person is to be brought before the Court issuing the warrant or, if that is not possible, before the most accessible Court in the same county.

Getting an IC Warrant

You can do this by:

  • Myjobs - a request to staff
  • IC request to a judge

Whichever route you choose, you must wait until it has been issues and then post to the police BBboard to say you have the warrant. This prevents the PC receiving multiple warrants served on them for the same thing.

If you do neither and RP having the warrant, you may be assumed to be lying and be subject to the full force of discipline and the law yourself

WHAT IS NEEDED FOR AN ARREST or SEARCH WARRANT:

An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_warrant) while a search warrant is an order signed by a judge that authorizes police officers to search for specific objects or materials at a definite location at a specified time.

TO GET EITHER ONE YOU NEED:

Probable cause defined as "a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed" and that the person is linked to the crime with the same degree of certainty. "The Supreme Court decision Illinois v. Gates (1983) lowered the threshold of probable cause by ruling that a "substantial chance" or "fair probability" of criminal activity could establish probable cause. A better-than-even chance is not required." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probable_cause) Probable cause is what would lead a person of reasonable caution to believe that something connected with a crime is on the premises of a person or on persons themselves. ( http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/315/315lect06.htm)

BY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES:

A law enforcement officer must have a warrant for your arrest unless one of the following circumstances exists:

  • The law enforcement officer has reasonable ground to believe that a warrant for an arrest has been issued in this state or in another jurisdiction.
  • Someone committed or attempted to commit a crime in the presence of the officer.
  • The officer has reasonable ground to believe both that a crime has been committed and that you are the person who committed it.

Crime Scene and Investigation Etiquette

With a influx of new police players, it seemed like a good time to bring up some etiquette and procedural points when dealing with Crime Scenes and Investigations IC. This info was compiled by myself and Lyle and will also be added to the current Police Procedure page on the Wiki.

1. Officers should not point a gun at someone unless they mean to use it should an immediately threatening situation give them no choice. The only reasons a police officer at a crime scene should have a weapon drawn are:

a. The crime is still in progress. (Sgt. Jane N’Pcee walks into an alley where a thief has a gun and is asking a civilian for his wallet).

b. The crime scene is large and not yet secured, and fresh enough that the perpetrator would not have had a chance to depart the area or is suspected of still being in the area. In this case, drawn and pointed at the ground, safety on, is protocol until in an area away from civilians) (Ex. A 911 call made about gunshots coming from an abandoned house and Officer Bob Bobinson is first on scene. He draws his gun in preparation, but doesn’t raise it or point it anywhere but the ground until inside the house.)

c. There is an imminent and immediate threat to the officer or the public. (A frenzied shifter standing over a civilian is menacing them or the officer).

2. Uniformed patrol officers are the standard for securing a crime scene and are in charge of it until detectives arrive (if they are required - bar fight or domestic violence case? If no one is dead, patrol will handle things). They also transport suspects or witnesses that need to give official statements to the precinct. A Homicide detective won’t be called to a crime scene that doesn’t involve a dead body or something linking it to a dead body. A homicide scene won’t have a Vice cop or a SWAT team called in (unless, for example, there is evidence of drug trafficking in the case of Vice or the murderer is on site and holed in somewhere or has taken hostages in the case of SWAT). The person in charge of the scene will be the senior patrol officer until the appropriate branch officer who is assigned the case arrives. Anyone else is subordinate to them at the crime scene, even other branch officers. Consultants would only be called to a scene by the officer in charge if they decide they are needed. However, if there is a reason for your character to be in the area and there are flashing lights? You can visit the crime scene as a guest and be allowed in at the discretion of the officer in charge.

3. Witness and suspect interviews are done by uniformed police officers for some crimes (ie, a bar fight, vandalism, a car accident) but are usually done by assigned detectives for crimes pertaining to their specialties. A homicide detective won’t be interviewing drug dealers about drug shipments for a Vice case. A uniformed police officer won’t be interviewing murder witnesses. Specialized units (like SWAT) have a more focused range of tasks that don’t involve performing interviews. If a witness to something passes your police PC information about a case you have not been assigned to, it is not admissible unless they are brought in to formally give the statement to the officers working the case or someone they designate to take a statement at the precinct. This is especially important protocol in regards to suspect activity or alibis. Further, things like arrest/search/execution warrants will not typically be granted based on 2nd or 3rd hand information passed from cop to cop, so info coming direct from the civilian source to the case officer is crucial.

4. The details of a crime scene and information on suspects, evidence, and victim identities are not to be made public knowledge until and unless police brass (someone way above the PCs) determines it is safe to reveal for the public. Giving out information on criminal investigations can cripple a case. It means word can get passed on to the suspects which helps them dodge police, and that information about a death can be received 3rd or 4th hand by their next of kin before police can formally tell them face-to-face, or even that evidence can be tainted and an equitable jury pool impossible to assemble before a case goes to court. This means if it gets back to authorities that a police officer revealed the facts of a case to someone who is not working that case, there could be disciplinary action. But this is a game in which police PCs have friends and loved ones they worry about and it is logical for them to pass on warnings. Do so with DISCRETION and with as little detail as possible, either anonymously, in a manner that cannot be traced to you, or to people who expressly understand not to link your name to how they got the info. Also note that instead of risking your PC to pass on information, you can simply make use of the rumor code, and let a snoopy NPC reporter or bystander pass on the info (within reason. If the PC police are doing a good job securing the scene, it’s not fair to make them look like they weren’t by an info leak, and anything NPCs got out would be vague and minimal in details). Be sure to also OK this with the person running the scene.

5. Consultants, Private Investigators, and Marshals are only given access to a crime scene or case files if brought in specifically by the officers in charge. The latter only has any jurisdiction if there is absolute proof of a preternatural crime, enough to have a writ of execution. Note that the word of psychics and mages that something happened they were not a physically present to witness is not considered proof. Open case files are not accessible to everyone, not even other departments, during the course of an investigation without going through significant red tape and having a very, very good reason for it. Just because it shows up on bboard 20 does not make it public knowledge to anyone with access to that board. If you are unsure, ask first.

Procedural Codes

01. Disturbance, Domestic         10. Animal Bite
02. Disturbance, Teenagers        11. Suspicious Person(s)/Auto
03. Disturbance, Drunk            12. Citizen Calling for Help
04. Disturbance, Noise            13. Lost Person Found
05. Disturbance, Other            14. Auto, Burglar or Holdup Alarm
06. Illegal Parking               15. Inhalator
07. Sick Removal/Confinement      16. Fire       
08. Injured Person                17. Escort
09. Man or Woman Down             18. Traffic Accident
                                  19. Other Miscellaneous

A. Adam - Not Bona Fide Incident  
B. Boy - No Such Person can be found
C. Charles - No Such Address
D. David - No Police Service Necessary
E. Edward - Perpetrator Gone on Arrival
F. Frank - Peace Restored
G. George - Advise Warrent
H. Henry - Advised to Recontact Police
I. Ida - Removed to Hospital or Detox. Facility
J. John - Return to Family / Home
K. King - Taken to District Station
L. Lincoln - Information Report Submitted
M. Mary - Issued Traffic Citation
N. Nora - Issued Ordinance Complaint
O. Ocean - Advised Legal Help
P. Paul - Other Police Service
R. Robert - Arrest Made
X. X Ray - Misc. Incident Exception Report
Y. Young - Animal Bite Information Report

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