HPD Overhaul
After extensive discussions, surveys, and interviews over the past several months, we designed an all new police department, new policing features, and updated the existing ones. Every feature was re-envisioned with the single purpose of driving role-play stories and creating role-play opportunities between players.
In order to best explain this, we recommend you take the time to read the new HPD Guide in its entirety; I created this special “Migration” version to call out changes to existing workflows and included screenshots to provide better context. We also recommend you like at our previous post [link] regarding the updates the HPD will be going through starting December 28th, 2015.
We hope you find these changes as exciting as it was to design them. Report your bugs here.
Happy holidays!
Hathian Police Guide
Navigate:
- Charter
- Uniform
- Weapons
- Vehicle
- Roles & Responsibilities
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- Rookies
- Officers
- Corporal
- Sergeant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Special Duties
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- Detective
- Patrol Training
- Case Training
- Promotions
- Systems
- Application Process
- Onboarding & Training
- Communication
- Conducting Arrests
Charter
The police department is at the heart of the criminal role-play in Hathian. Since many policing role-play features such as Citations, Arrests, and Case Assignments are designed to award roles to the general population, it’s important to understand the following charter:
- Since the entire community is reliant on cops to further their criminal history, the police players are responsible for exemplary role-play etiquette, a positive attitude with both new and existing players, and maintaining inclusive stories.
- Every function and feature is designed to encourage player-to-player scenes and weave stories - it is not about simply leveling ranks, following complex hierarchies, and mundane training requirements.
- The department is a brotherhood. To survive the heartless streets of Hathian, every cop watches each other’s back, they turn a blind eye to corrupt acts within the force, and no relationship with the civilians is greater than the safety of the group.
Uniform
Officers must visually represent the police force with a common uniform and badge. Please check the police subforum for the latest recommendations.
Weapons
Officers are issued pepper spray, trained to wield batons, carry a sidearm if a member of the CD Armed Citizen group, and may deploy electroshock weapons (ie. Taser).
In special planned scenes involving raids, training, riot control, and stand-offs, lieutenants and sergeants may allow the use of shotguns with bean-bag rounds and flashbangs. CD Armed Officer role may be achieved by regular presence and reporting activities - eligibility may be checked by attempting to apply for the role. While On-Duty, Officers do not need to wear the CD Armed Officer tag, however, the group must be visible in your profile.
Vehicle
Please see the vehicle permit guide for requirements.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Rookie
Rookies are new department hires. In their first days they must choose the path they will take, for each choice has consequences. Do they follow the path of the cops before them and reap the benefits of corruption and power or do they convince themselves that one person can make a difference, and go against the grain? Make your allies, make your enemies, and remember - once you start down your path, people don't forget.
Duties primarily cover coffee runs, donut munching, and working your beat. Rookies should reach out for training be sure to get out on the streets with fellow officers as much as possible.
- Officer
The heart of the police force, you will find all flavors of cops, from the wide-eyed newbie to the jaded veteran. They care less about the criminals and arrests and more about what they can gain - from some back alley loving, bribes, to a good beatdown. For those with more integrity, it's all about enforcing the law and protecting the people, but they know they're the minority and that they need to stay out of the way of their more corrupt fellow officers.
Duties primarily include partnering up with rookies online during patrols, aspire to special duties and assignment to task force, and support detectives on cases they were originally reported in.
- Corporal
Serving as the supervisors on the streets, corporals have the run of the land. When they roll up to your scene, it's a good bet they are there to help themselves to your score. Since honest cops will find it almost impossible to rise to the supervisory ranks, there's a good chance these cops have made friends with the command staff and have little to fear in terms of repercussions for their actions.
Corporals have the authority to dole out punishments such as cellblock guard duty, coffee and donut runs, and more. Failure to follow their command could lead to further disciplinary action by Sergeants.
- Sergeant
Sergeants are responsible for checking in with the field training officers and rookies to ensure they're getting the information they need. They oversee and provide hands-on in-character training. Their good relationship with the command structure affords them more latitude and protection for their extra-curricular activities.
Sergeants are responsible for overall personnel, recruiting fresh boots for detective and training assignments, and collaborating with task force leaders. This role requires a reputation for being corrupt, exceptional player attitude and public relations, and solid communication skills.
- Lieutenant
Along with the captain, lieutenants are the public face of the command staff for the department. They are responsible for day-to-day operations and are well compensated through special interests they’ve weaved through their career.
This role requires all the leadership requirements in running an official group; it also requires a reputation for being corrupt. No one faction should be favored on a regular basis; this requires a balance to ensure inclusive stories are being built through the dynamic of the police and criminals in the city.
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Captain (NPC)
Captain Walter Bishop, HPD (Acid Afterthought)
This position is now held by a character played by admins. In collaboration with lieutenants, they are in involved in the decision making process of OOC issues, all promotions/demotions above corporal, approving the termination of employees and award medals. While having an IC presence, this character is an unbiased and stable force for the department that will allow lower ranks to focus on the fun of their role and in the field rather than administrative paperwork this role often tends to become.
Special Duties / Designations
- Detective (Det)
- Field Training Officer, Patrol (FTO)
- Field Training Officer, Investigation (Det FTO)
Promotions
Rookies are often promoted to Officers once they’ve been sufficiently onboarded which includes participation in police reports, demonstrate knowledge in all policing protocol, guidelines, and role-play etiquette.
To move into advanced roles, besides activity, these promotions are primarily based on how well a player is able to role-play with others, their attitude in and outside the group, and their ability to extend role-play to others.
Systems
Roster (HUD)
The group roster is designed to help identify active police players, special duties, inmate players and their sentencing time left, recent case assignment, preference in corruption, and the current task force established.
December 2015 changes include:
- Less active players are grayed out to help declutter and allow focus on active players
- new rookies are highlighted orange
- exceptionally active officers are highlighted yellow
- New duty column helps identify players who have been earned additional responsibilities including that of a Detective and Field Training Officer (FTO).
- New “crooked” column is an average rating of a players’ preference in corruption based on the reports submitted.
- Detective is no longer a rank - it is a special duty earned on the condition of exceptional role-play etiquette and inclusive attitude to extend role-play through investigation. Special units are no longer required; in fact, every case assigned will also include all officers involved in the original report.
- An academy is being considered for the second phase of this roll-out.
Bad Cop vs Good Cop (HUD)
Before writing an incident report, arresting, issuing a citation, or submitting an all-point bulletin (APB), players must select their character’s “state of mind”.
If Bad Cop is selected, the report will display additional fields to identify the type of corruption the scene included as well as an opportunity to showcase the player’s best post from the scene that highlights the corruption. While writing a citation, the officer can use their discretion to set the final price of the fine, offering heavy discounts for “services rendered”.
December 2015 New Feature!
Radio Dispatch (HUD)
Clicking on the radio will allow players to enter the full avatar username of another player to check if their character in custody has any priors (ie. number of previous arrests or if a warrant is issued). This procedure may only be done as part of a scene when an officer has stopped someone for questioning.
December 2015 changes include:
- The old radio experience using channel commands has been eliminated
- use the CD Municipal Services group chat to communicate issues and the CD Police Department group chat for anything else.
Writing Report (HUD)
Reporting an incident or arrest is covered in this single report feature and is the most important function of an officer. When a report is submitted after an arrest or incident, both players in the police and in the public will be awarded cred towards earning new roles and unlocking features of the sim.
Follow the instructions within each field and submit relevant details. DO NOT copy/paste posts – we are looking brief summaries so other characters like detectives and lawyers can follow up.
Writing Citation (HUD)
Citations are designed to engage new players on the sim; it’s a tool to be used to harass civilians and engage them into role-play without serious consequences. When a citation is submitted, the automated Court Mailer will send them an in-character notification of mail received regarding their fines and instructing them to visit the station to pay them off.
Issuing an APB (HUD)
All-Point Bulletins (APBs) allow officers to issue alerts for suspects at-large. Officers in the field can use the description of the character defined to apprehend them if found in public. APBs are considered active for one week.
Case Assignments
Despite patrol duties, an important function of the department is for detectives and officers to team up and resolve cases. Incident reports submitted by officers are filed for review by lieutenants. If a report requires follow up, a lieutenant will assign up to two active detectives and all officers involved in the report to begin investigation.
Detective and supporting officers assigned to a case will receive a notification in-world and can track their case assignments by accessing the Case Assignment boxes at the station. The assignment process is handled by lieutenants (major crimes only) and sergeants (all other crimes) as they review all submitted incidents. During the review process, most cases will likely be dismissed to maintain detectives’ focus on stories that are likely to extend into role-play and maintain the corrupt nature of the department.
While on a case, role-play often involves doing interviews, writing and appending case notes, arresting individuals for questioning, bargaining release between lawyers and cops, and/or moving the role-play into a trial.
December 2015 New Feature!
- Reports involving major crimes (i.e murder, aggravated sexual assault, domestic terrorism, kidnapping, gang assault) will be reviewed by lieutenants and assigned to detectives if necessary.
- Sergeants will be able to dismiss or assign all other reports
Police Records
All citations, incident, and arrest reports are filed in the station. Each record can be searched by avatar usernames which will result in any records with a reference to the individual.
Records of arrests that were completed through either time SERVED or BAILED will be stamped as such. Citations that are still payable will allow officers to process payment, or display a DELINQUENT (not paid in time) or PAID stamp.
A stack of cold cases can also be accessed, allowing players to review assigned cases that were automatically turned cold when no updates were appended, or if the detectives had abandoned their search and updated its status to cold.
December 2015 changes:
- see above
Payment Collection (Bail / Fine)
The police terminal at the station enables all officers to role-play the payment transaction between civilians either posting bail for an inmate or those who are paying fines associated to citations.
To post bail, the option to process bail transactions is found under the “Inmates” tab on the roster for each jailed player. Use the recommended range of payment due which is 10% of the total bail.
To process fines resulting from citations, the option through the terminal will allow you to search through records based on the offender’s name. On the citation report, you’ll either have the option to process payment or discover a DELINQUENT stamp on it indicating that payment is no longer an option and likely have a bench warrant issued for non-payment.
December 2015 changes include:
- Bail and Citation Fine payment are accessible through the Police Terminal - the cash register no longer exists.
- Bail payment is recommended to players based on their offenses; keep in mind that the actual payment due is only 10% of the total bail amount set. This ensures characters do not need to save the $50,000+ payments repeatedly due to the poor economy that defines Hathian.
- It is also recommended that those in jail for 7 days do not be allowed to post bail until at least 3 days have been served.
- Processing payment for citation fines is primarily handled by doing a record search, and if the citation is still active, officers will have an option on the report to take payment.
Task Force
A task force is a grouping of officers on the roster that are assigned to a time-set mission (2-4 weeks). The mission is a story arc involving the police department that can be tracked via the roster. For now, only one task force may be running at a time.
Whether it’s attention on dealing with a particular faction, setting up stings, or just general show of force on the streets, Lieutenants are responsible for setting up the story, assigning members (mix of new and old players who are active), and supporting communication via notices.
December 2015 New Feature!
Medals
Players who demonstrate extraordinary attitude, commitment, and further the stories of others may have an opportunity to be decorated with a medal that appears next to their name on the roster. It is a rare achievement and the decision to award one comes with a deliberation between senior officers and the admins behind the Captain. Medals are also permanent so if a player leaves the group and returns, they will retain their decorated status.
December 2015 New Feature!
RP Tips
Application Process
A solid understanding of RP etiquette and earning the basic Citizen role is a prerequisite. To join the police department, players can visit the station lobby and use the recruitment poster to apply. Each application is reviewed by Nadir and may take a few days to process.
Onboarding
Once accepted, new players will receive a group invite to the CD Police Department & CD Municipal Department group with the starting role of Rookie. This role will allow players to access the station doors and computer terminals. We recommend the following steps:
- Review this guide thoroughly
- Acquire Police HUD from the computer terminal at the station
- Acquire the recommended uniform and accessories
- Use the roster to identify active players and pro-actively reach out for introductions, assistance, and/or pairing up role-play.
- Working the desk at the station lobby is usually a good place to start and get noticed.
Communication
Use the police group chat to radio in all activity, signing off with your call sign (see in-world HUD menu), request backup if possible, and post questions for clarification. We encourage players to proactively reach out to corporals, sergeants and lieutenants as they are always there to help and ensure everyone is having a fun in the group.
Arrests
The procedural role-play involving an arrest should include the dictation of the Miranda Rights with a flare for asserting police dominance. Consider the following recommendations:
- Before deciding to make an arrest, assess the scene to ensure you have backup, if necessary, and if you could realistically apprehend the character.
- Do you have the means to transport the suspect and make them pay for their crimes in a back alley instead of hauling in for a formal arrest? Both suspect and officer would get credit with the submission of an incident report while playing Bad Cop!
- Always submit your report at the end of the scene; in the case of an arrest, after you have role-played booking the character into a jail cell.
- Arresting officers must plan to follow up with an inmate they’ve booked at least once while they’re in jail. It is bad practice to simply jail someone and not offer another scene while they’re in captivity - it can be anything from checking on them, bringing them into interrogation, to moving them through the shower room or private room on the cell block for scenes that can’t be caught on camera.
Future Features
The next phase of feature rollouts may include the following ideas:
- Player Ratings
A feature designed to capture rating and feedback on players who represent the force in order to identify potential special duties-worthy players or award medals. When a report is submitted or updated, a feedback link will be dispatched to all players involved to rate their role-play experience.
- The Academy
The Academy will be an open group used for HPD recruitment and CU security recruitment and elective credit. The process to become an HPD officer will lead through the academy and rookie applications will be accepted on the 15 and 28 of every month. The Cadets will receive fun bootcamp RP, ride alongs, etc. Any presentations, PPTs, etc must be approved by admins before use. This is intended to be used for fun RP and ensuring folks know how to RP being a cop as well as forge friendships before facing the being a rookie in the HPD. Once accepted as a rookie, cadets will leave the academy and be ‘grouped’ with temporary teams
(see below)
- Rookie/Officer Teams
We are working on a system to pair up and possibly rotate officers based on their activity and online presence.
- Criminal Justice System
We are working on a new system to create more role-play opportunities with lawyers and the court system. Stay tuned!