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Old 11-10-2019, 01:25 PM   #31
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer View Post
I

Headset maybe, again not sure you want your Law Enforcement wearing helmets. Maybe some sort of visor or drop down eyepiece too. Hands-free comms would be desirable too.
?
You can put your officers in what look like motorcycle cop helmets. Then they can look intimidating or friendly depending on whether or not they take their sunglasses off. Probably no mirrorshades though. Those are almost always intimidating. Black Wayfarers are more neutral.

Said sunglasses would actually be the "Nightshades" from UT with DR10 ballistic lenses and a HUD display. Plainclothes detectives would get rhe Implanted Video Com cybernetics so they could scan suspects files during interrogation without it showing.

Plainclothes or uniformed they're wearing the DR 12/4 Reflex Ballistic Clothing.

Even with voice command and HUD they would also carry a large smartphone or small tablet so they can ask citizens "Have you seen this person?". Integrated with this would be a good camera so they could always begin investigating a scene by photographing it.

A holstered pistol is okay but the less flashy-looking the better. I'd avoid the stunstick and do with an aerosol can of Sleep Gas instead. Modern batons or tonfas almsot never get used for anything but beating the crap out of people who won't do what a cop says. Gas everybody and sort it out at the station house instead.

You could keep some 64mm Tangler grenades in the car. Those will web up an entire megahex and once again you can sort it all down at the station house.
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Old 11-10-2019, 01:43 PM   #32
Jack Sawyer
 
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

True about the cycle helmets, although Patrol Cars wouldn't be able to get away with that.

Also good point on the smartphone/tablet idea. I forgot that.

I kinda figured anything heavier than a sidearm would either be stored in the vehicle for emergencies (Vest/rifle/shotgun) or it might be delivered by 'support' robots/drones (that includes grenades.) It takes on more of a 'combined arms' approach reminiscent of what you get with the military... just not quite as military. Of course I'm also presuming each cop or cop pair gets its own AI partner (think Knight Rider lol) so YMMV
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Old 11-10-2019, 03:56 PM   #33
dcarson
 
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

With self driving cars they can walk a beat to talk to people and be seen and have a patrol car that moves up every block or so. Maybe a small one like a smart car that can fit in small spaces.
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Old 11-10-2019, 04:08 PM   #34
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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In my near future campaigns, I eschew the use of caseless ammunition largely because after all this time, Caseless ammunition is still not quite ready for prime time use. Toss in various factors such as "logistical supply" necessary for military units, and I largely think that governments today will find it VERY difficult to switch to caseless ammunition with all the money the government has spent on stockpiling ammunition supplies for their own military.
In general, a large police force will need standardized equipment that is known and reliable. Smaller forces, or private police forces (dial your level of dystopia) may be equipped beyond typical norms. I remember hearing a story about some rich old geezer donating a bunch of P90s to a small town police force back when they were a relatively new weapon. These small-town cops had a P90 and spare ammo racked up in every cruiser thanks to the donor. I could foresee private police firms having some pretty bleeding edge equipment with the right sponsors. An armaments corporation might even have their own security outfit that they use to advertise their weapons!
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Old 11-10-2019, 09:22 PM   #35
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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I thought it might be interesting to open up a thread that details some of or even most of the equipment that a police officer might have at their disposal in the year 2049.
An easy guess is that they'll have a lot more electronics.

Most police work is about information gathering.

Police vehicles already include computer terminals, GPS, and on-board cameras. The next step will be HUD devices, collision-avoidance sensors, and limited AI capability - either to assist driving, gather data, or identify lawbreakers.

In communities which are highly tolerant of police surveillance, expect police cars to incorporate cameras with face recognition technology which identifies suspects, missing persons, and/or convicted criminals.

In communities which are less tolerant of surveillance, onboard AI might be limited to scanning for things like license plates of stolen vehicles.

In communities where police have extensive surveillance powers, expect things like IR or millimeter wave scanners with sufficient range to determine if someone is carrying a concealed weapon or similar item. Such sensors can also be used to detect people inside buildings or hidden inside vehicles. IR has been used for decades to detect drug operations - esp. covert marijuana grows.

As the tech gets smarter, cheaper, and more robust, expect it to move from the police cruiser to the cop. Imagine a "robo-cop" type HUD inside a helmet visor which provides night vision, IR, millimeter wavy radar, and visual sensors, all tied into advanced national and international law enforcement databases which provide pertinent information in "real-time."

Cops might also wear biosensors which monitor things like heart rate and blood pressure. Helmets might incorporate sensors which indicate possible TBI.
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Old 11-11-2019, 09:08 AM   #36
khorboth
 
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

Another piece of worldbuilding that is hard is: Don't make it too logical & reasonable. Real-life history is full of weird coincidences and powerful people making stupid decisions.

A couple of relevant real-life examples:

One of my local police departments banned "cocked hammers" on sidearms because the city council determined that they sent the wrong message and were too threatening. As a result, the 1911-style sidearms went totally out of favor in that department and the Glock-style sidearms with a concealed hammer were strongly favored. This was deemed fine because the was about a perception of threat, not any actuality of readiness.

Currently, no manufacturer is selling "smart guns" which identify the correct user by token or biometrics in the US due to a law in New Jersey. This law states that one year after the first one is publicly sold in the US, only that type of firearm may be sold in New Jersey. Therefore, nobody wants to bring the inevitably expensive and buggy first-gen things to the US market and loose a whole state's market for everyone.

Some ideas for future weirdness:

Given the current level of police distrust, a few instances of police misconduct while the officers were inebriated may lead to every officer being tested for intoxication and drug use at the beginning of every shift.

Due to a high-profile court case where a criminal didn't understand that the person they were confessing to was a police officer, the body cameras every officer wears start a timer at the beginning of every civilian interaction. After 90 seconds, the officer's worn computer loudly interrupts asking the civilian what their preferred language is and then reading a litany of rights. The civilian is prompted to respond that they understand.
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Old 11-11-2019, 10:39 AM   #37
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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Currently, no manufacturer is selling "smart guns" which identify the correct user by token or biometrics in the US due to a law in New Jersey.
You may be observing conincidence and mistaking it for causation. Adding biometric recognition to a handgun would add most of the cost of a smartphone to its' price. This is also for a feature that would be of limited attractiveness to many users (and even serious worry to anyone wanting to use the gun for defense).

The New Jersey gun market may not even be large enough to matter on a national scale. It's already a state that's well known for being unfreindly to gun owners.
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Old 11-11-2019, 11:05 AM   #38
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
You may be observing conincidence and mistaking it for causation. Adding biometric recognition to a handgun would add most of the cost of a smartphone to its' price. This is also for a feature that would be of limited attractiveness to many users (and even serious worry to anyone wanting to use the gun for defense).

The New Jersey gun market may not even be large enough to matter on a national scale. It's already a state that's well known for being unfreindly to gun owners.
It's actually not coincidence. Here's an NPR piece on the law which mentions the systems on sale in Europe 5 years ago.. Currently, they are at the "gimmicky, glitchy, expensive" stage. The normal process would be for a few rich early adopters to buy them. Maybe a few hundred sales total the first year. Then, the systems get refined as commercial viability is tested. The same way electronic ignition systems went (and failed to find a market).
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Old 11-11-2019, 11:11 AM   #39
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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Another piece of worldbuilding that is hard is:
World building is definitely the interesting part of being a GM. ;)

I started to write a fair bit of information about my Chrome City campaign world. After I wrote a few paragraphs, I deleted it all thinking "This is like reciting my own poetry to people who really don't want to hear it" - which made this comment much smaller than it otherwise would have been.

I've got a Police Coverall Uniform that covers the entire body from the Neck down to the ankles with a DR of 20, but is vulnerable to "chinks in armor" rules. The garment weighs 9.5 lbs, costs $2800, and comes in various colors such as light blue right down to midnight blue. Other color uniforms can be had, but as custom manufacturing runs, they tend to cost up to 4x as much as standard colors. The "Shop" (slang for Police car) are SUV style vehicles that utilize the same flexible armor as is found worn by the police. These vehicles are armored up to as much as 45 DR in some areas, and as little as 10 DR in others.

As for surveillance needs, the "Shop" is escorted by 4 drones in a pre-programmed flight pattern that ride above the vehicle. Their AI software pilots the drones as needed unless they run into dangerous situations requiring human decision making, then they peel off in preset instructions.

In my campaign world, Corporations have pared down the labor force as much as possible and heavily automated things where possible. As a consequence of this, unemployment is incredibly high with relatively cheap unskilled labor generally held by AI devices instead. Local and State governments have taken to taxing any business that uses excessive automation and tax each process that is automated as if it were an employee that the business has to pay employee taxes on. This in turn is used to give the welfare recipients (Welfies) their basic struggling wealth stipend.

As a consequence of a heavier tax burden, the Corporations largely paid politicians to make things as easy for them as possible - which included more lenient liability laws for self-protection (now international corporations have a status analogous to embassies in some ways - and can use lethal force to protect their property under the most strict protocols (ie protection of Corporate higher officers, R&D property, as well as hazardous materials site that could endanger the local population if destroyed etc.)

One of the favorite methods for attacking police officers involves the use of petroleum distillates (even Petroleum Jelly) being used as improvised incendiary devices. One method utilizes a super soaker devise filled with a combustible and a second individual with a flare lighting up the target. Picking off drones is a fun sport, which is why drones tend to be made cheaply.

Part of me is undecided about computer hardware. Do I leave the hardware in the "Shop" (ie SUV) or do I have the police officer carrying a light weight computer on his person that is capable of running Complexity 5 software for optical recognition or not.

Well, that's enough for now I suspect.
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Old 11-11-2019, 11:24 AM   #40
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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I started to write a fair bit of information about my Chrome City campaign world.

Well, that's enough for now I suspect.
That you were talking about a Cyberpunk world was a relevant datum not previously mentioned. It pretty much takes everything based on assumptions of realism and sanity irrelevent.

This is fine if that's what you want of course.

I would say if your cop "car" is smart enough tom onitor the scout drones you need to bump up the TL for computers. UT's TL9 AI is _dumb_ and or expensive.
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