CP2020 - Southowilson Law Enforcement
The Southowilson Police Department is largely as described in the Cyberpunk2020 book “Protect and Serve”, understaffed and outgunned. Modern police doctrine calls for a ratio of 2-4 police officers for every 1000 civilians. Southowilson has an estimated population of about six million, the largest city in NorCal by far. This means there should be at least 12,000 law enforcement agents. In truth, there are slightly less than 10,000 - a 600:1 ratio. Southowilson is badly understaffed, and law enforcement in concentrated in certain districts. As a result, the police tend to focus less on “law” and more on “order”. The follow-through rate on investigations is poor, due largely to the entire department being overworked. On the other hand, SWPD officers do a fine job of containing threats to public order.
Organization is pretty typical for a major urban police department - broken into divisions and sections, assigned to various precincts, with an administrative structure atop that. 70% of the officers are assigned to Patrol Division, with the remaining 30% split between Tactical Division and Investigation Division. Police officers are divided between about a dozen patrol divisions (large portions of Southowilson) headed by a deputy chief. Each patrol division is subdivided into separate precincts, roughly forty in all, each with a separate police station headed by a precinct captain. Each precinct has its own sections of Investigation and Tactical, headed by a lieutenant, as appropriate to the needs of the precinct. Precincts vary widely in specific size and composition, but a “typical” one has about 250 uniformed officers. In reality, most are much smaller, while others are much larger. Officers are often shuffled and reassigned as needed.
The highest profile group is the Special Investigations and Operations Division (SIOD). This is a wildcard unit, composed on the most successful officers from Tactical and Investigations. These detectives are chosen for experience, intelligence, and initiative. The SIOD handles cases which are either too high-profile or too politically sensitive for regular investigation. Gangs, organized crime, drug rings, serial killings, corporate crimes, and so forth all fall under the auspices of the SIOD. If it is too dangerous, too sensitive, too tangled, and too bizarre, SIOD gets it. SIOD also gets the best gear, funding, and media attention. As a result, they are widely resented by other officers.
Equipment is fairly basic for the standard patrol officer. In addition to all the standard gear carried on a police duty belt, all police officers are issued blue SP=20 Reflex Armor body suits, covering the entire body and head, while avoiding an overtly military look. Patrol officers are also issued an SP=20 cuirasse and helmet, but these usually remain in storage unless trouble is expected… it is considered bad policing to have non-military officers armored too heavily. Tactical officers are issued SP=20 Infantry Hardsuits, worn over gray SP=10 bodysuits. Patrol officers carry 11mm pistols as sidearms, and shotguns or carbines as backup weapons. Tactical officers are issued various assault rifles and heavier weapons as available. A few patrol units are being issued electrolasers like the Effinger P-70 “Static Pistol” on a trial basis.