Law Enforcement Organizations in T2K

[Targan]

I think that during the Twilight War and particularly after the TDM, many retired police officers would return to the force (too old to enlist in the military or be drafted but still well able to perform law enforcement duties).

[TrailerParkJawa]

I think pre-war police forces would be rare. Perhaps little towns in Jericho might stay intact. But for a big city like San Jose not very likely any pre-war organziation and structure would survive.

Justice will be local and probably brutal. Even if its dealt out my the equivelant of the town Sheriff or local neigborhood watch

[Webstral]

There are a lot of variables. We have the example of Manhattan, where municipal government has collapsed completely. But we know that the actual Mayor of New York continues to hold office in the Bronx (I think). The surviving cops probably are much rougher and readier than they ever used to be in every part of the country. However, in communities where order remains there needs to be a means of enforcing the law that is more sophisticated than having Joe Militiaman butt stroke folks to the ground.

[Tombot]

Originally Posted by Targan

I think that during the Twilight War and particularly after the TDM, many retired police officers would return to the force (too old to enlist in the military or be drafted but still well able to perform law enforcement duties).

Yep, i guess thats right. The return of the older cops as a cadre for building up the militias. Which do both; policework and defense of the local grainstore from marauders.
And public hangings, since the TV-entertainment must be substituted somehow.

[Medic]

I believe, the law enforcement would pretty much turn back to the Wild West style. It might be, there are no pros left, so the communities elect the best/most popular candidate or someone just takes up the job without consulting his fellow residents. And since there is not going to be judges around too much either, the result is most probably going to be the "sheriff" acting as judge, jury and executioner. If he has no actual training as a peace officer, innocent casualties are more than expected.

Quoting an old Beetle Bailey strip where Chaplain Staneglass tells Brigadier General Amos T. Halftrack "If power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Having seen this happen even outside huge (inter)national emergencies, I tend to think, those people who most covet the positions of power are those who should be the last to have them...

[Webstral]

Almost every variation imaginable is likely to be found in post-Exchange America and across the globe.

[Medic]

Most certainly, globally there is some variation due to e differences of local histories. For an example, in Finland you would probably not find just a single "sheriff", but the community as a whole might work in unison to capture perpetrators. Or then, you might find a local magistrate, nimismies. Or there might be a regional unit that used to guard the important buildings and resources in the area and assumed the local police authority, possibly integrating the local police in to their ranks.

[kalos72]

A standard police office is really not much to worry about and would just be another "thug" in most respects.

Now SWAT members are another story...utilize those guys in a storyline and you have some real challenges for the PC's.

[oldschoolgm]

I agree that there are a whole lot of factors that play into how and what police forces would like. A few of points come to my mind.

1. Does the police force exist in a town or city where the populace are organized into a militia or sorts?
2. Are the police the only form of security for a community?
3. What kind environmental factors exist in and around the communities?

I tend to agree that a lot of the younger military age officers won't be around, but for more rural communities I would think the local authorities (cops and sheriffs) will be a bit more militarized as well as extremely prejudiced with regards to the communities and people they are protecting. It wouldn't be surprising to see some municipalities going back to old west style justice, but I can also see small rural towns having paramilitary police forces.

Now the proximity of military units, marauders, large nomadic gangs and such would probably have a big effect on what this would look like.

I also think it would be a bad assumption to think that a lone cop would not be dangerous. If a cop or sheriff has survived to 2001 with only a handgun and shotgun to protect people from marauders and gangs and such, he is probably a lot more resourceful than a soldier that has come to rely on his unit members and fully automatic weapons.

My 2 cents.