Sci-Fi Police of the year 2049 AD

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Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Remember, that is GURPS $. The vast majority of rookie police officers in the USA make much more in 2019 $.

Equipment budgets are an important line item, which will probably be one of the reasons why the primary weapon may become DE weapons like Electrolaser Pistols. While they have a high upfront costs, they have practically no ammunition cost, which allows police officers to go to the gun range every week for a couple of hours without breaking the bank. It is possible for a police officer to go through 1000 bullets during a two-hour firing session, including the time for reloads and breaks, which would be $280 in 10mm ammunition a week. After just six weeks, the Electrolaser Pistol would be cheaper than the 10mm Heavy Pistol.

Of course, some departments might instead go for a Tangler Pistol instead. While the range is worse, the 25mm ammunition offers a lot of versatility. It can fire shapecharged rounds as well as tangler rounds, giving police the ability to take down vehicles or capture suspects with the same weapon. At $2.4 per round though, practicing is expensive even with standard ammunition, so it is better to practice just enough for familiarity and just practice with normal pistols.

The police departments may even simply practice with "dummy" rounds instead of live rounds. The officer at the range may even utilize HUD displays to show that the point of aim vs the point of impact would result in a successful tangler "on target" shot, or one that would be relatively ineffectual. They will find ways to cut expenses if they have sufficient incentive.

The question that goes through my mind based on your comments is:

What specifically is the purpose of a gun in the hands of a police officer? Is it intended to be capable of offering lethal force if necessary? Is it intended to be able to intimidate? Is it a weapon that is intended to potentially stop someone in their tracks (relatively speaking) so as to not continue on a deadly intent? Would a non-lethal police force be capable of dealing with terrorists? Would they be able to deal with a rabid creature? I just don't know...