International Space Patrol
Following the ratification of the Treaty of Brasilia in 2026, the ISP was founded as a space police force (and general 'space emergency response' service) that was not beholden to any one nation, primarily to prevent rivalries between different space LEOs that criminals could exploit (though some claim it was an attempt to present a non-British united front to the rest of space). Areas of responsibility include not only open space and the orbital space of planets, moons, and systems controlled by signatories of the Treaty of Brasilia, but space stations and colonies jointly administrated by signatories, especially those that do not have a local police force. Those signatories included all nations with existing space programs by 2026 (including the UK), apart from the PRC, North Korea, Iran, and Egypt, who consider it an attempt to put an American face on humanity.
The first Commissioner of the International Space Patrol was NASA astronaut and former USAF and USSF Colonel Thomas 'Buzz' Curry. The first Vice Commissioner was Giovanna de Assis, formerly a Coronel in in Brazil's Polícia Militar.
Ranks
Insignia are similar to those of the US military and police forces, with some modifications. They are worn on the collar and, for Other Ranks, the upper sleeves, though on space suits they are instead worn on the chest, helmet, and life-support pack.
Rank 9 [45]
OF-10 Commissioner of the International Space Patrol (five stars)
Rank 8 [40]
OF-9 Vice Commissioner (four stars)
OF-8 Assistant Commissioner (three stars)
Rank 7 [35]
OF-7 Commander (two stars)
OF-6 Vice Commander (one star)
Rank 6 [30]
OF-5 Chief Superintendent (two leaves)
Rank 5 [25]
OF-4 Superintendent (one leaf)
Rank 4 [20]
OF-3 Chief Inspector (three bars)
Rank 3 [15]
OF-2 Inspector (two bars)
OF-1 Assistant Inspector (one bar)
Courtesy Rank 3 [3]
OF(D) Space Patrol Cadet (one to five pips, indicating ranking within one's class)
Rank 2 [10]
OR-9 Sergeant Major of the Space Patrol (w/Courtesy Rank 7 [7]) (three chevrons with three rockers and one lozenge, wreathed)
OR-9 Space Patrolman Sergeant Major (w/Courtesy Rank 5 [5]) (three chevrons with three rockers and one lozenge)
OR-8 Chief Space Patrolman Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 3 [3]) (three chevrons with three rockers)
OR-7 Senior Space Patrolman Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (three chevrons with two rockers)
OR-6 Space Patrolman Staff Sergeant (three chevrons with one rocker)
Rank 1 [5]
OR-4 Space Patrolman Sergeant (three chevrons)
Rank 0 [0]
OR-2 Space Patrolman first class (one chevron)
OR-1 Space Patrolman (no insignia)
Notes
Uniforms largely resemble the dark blue police uniforms common to many nations, save for the space suits, which are form-fitting silver counterpressure suits covered by white jumpsuits, the latter having various identifying marks and rank insignia. The badge is a five-point star on a disc, and is designed to serve as a combadge.
Many International Space Patrol personnel are assigned to specific colonies or stations, and thus have Legal Enforcement Powers [5], or in the case of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, LEP (free to engage in covert investigations) [10]; those in the branch that people on Earth think of when they hear 'Space Patrol,' the ones working in flying saucers, have LEP (national or international jurisdiction) [10]. A very few have LEP (national or international jurisdiction
and free to engage in covert investigations) [12]. Despite what the tabloids might claim, no-one in the ISP can kill with relative impunity, nor are they allowed to ignore the civil right of others.
Space station and colony patrols are often equipped with light body armour, stun batons, and Mind Disruptor pistols with Hypnagogic and Neutralizer settings (Psi-Tech p27), as well as restraints, first aid kits, multitools, et cetra; local patrol vehicles and police boxes also carry emergency equipment like
hydraulic rescue tools, Ergokinetic Stunner Rifles (see below; mainly for use against hostile robots),
rescue bubbles, and portable biointensifiers. Heavier weapons, issued to
Boarding Crews and other tactical units, include heavier classes of Mind Disruptor or stunner, various grenades (both psi bombs (Psi-Tech pp28-29) and more mundane types), survival knives, force swords, and heavy space-axes; such crews are normally equipped with battlesuits, as well. If it seems likely that serious military weapons are needed, Patrol policy is to call in the nearest 'appropriate' (generally meaning 'much more likely to support the Patrol than the pirates') military force, though patrol vessels and stations or precincts are permitted to keep non-standard equipment on hand for serious emergencies; this equipment varies by location.
Ergokinetic stunners are generally built on Mind Disruptor stats (Mind Disruptor Table,
Psi-Tech p27). They function much like the stun baton in terms of their affliction but work at greater ranges. Depending on the design and the setting, there might be no accompanying psychokinetic damage at all, or effects such as '1d cr Cone, nbt, nw, dkb,' or '1d cr Cone, dbt, dkb.' Note that the P-Web Shield (
Psi-Tech p20) will protect against the stun effect.
A typical Holdout Stunner, such as the Axon 'Cricket,' does aff (HT-4 Confuse/HT-2 Sleep). The Stunner Pistol does aff (HT-5 Confuse/HT-3 Sleep) like the stun baton, the Stunner Rifle does aff (HT-6 Confuse/HT-4 Sleep), the Heavy Stunner does aff (HT-8 Confuse/HT-6 Sleep), and the Tactical Stunner does aff (HT-10 Confuse/HT-8 Sleep).
Space patrol saucers have a range of appearances, including some large vessels that look like those from Raumpatrouille Orion. They are lightly armed for their size from a military perspective, but can handle most emergency situations (including search-and-rescue, immediate disaster relief, and so in) short of those requiring nuclear weapons.
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