Police Rank Progression titles...

GoblynByte · 05-25-2015, 07:52 AM

Maybe this looks better?

Code:

Rank	Typical Titles		Notes
7       High Commissioner       Head of ISF
6	Commissioner		Regional Commander
5	Chief			Sector Commander
4	Commander		System Commander
3	Captain 	        Mobile Precinct Commander
2	Lieutenant		Duty or Shift Lead Officer for ISF Mobile Precinct
1	Sergeant		Squad Leader
0	Patrolman		Crew member of ISF Mobile Squad

GoblynByte · 05-25-2015, 08:06 AM

I'm rather embarrassed. It seems I explored this same subject on the forums back in 2011. I lost all memory of it. I must have lost my notes on it, though, and my forum search turned up nothing.

ArchonShiva · 05-26-2015, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoblynByte

Maybe this looks better?

Code:

Rank	Typical Titles		Notes
7       High Commissioner       Head of ISF
6	Commissioner		Regional Commander
5	Chief			Sector Commander
4	Commander		System Commander
3	Captain 	        Mobile Precinct Commander
2	Lieutenant		Duty or Shift Lead Officer for ISF Mobile Precinct
1	Sergeant		Squad Leader
0	Patrolman		Crew member of ISF Mobile Squad

Quite. Rank 8 seems rather over the top for a police force, and Rank 0 being called "officer" sounded really iffy.

Also, remember that Rank is an abstraction, and there can be several levels of authority, actual or de facto, within the same GURPS bracket. It's all nice rouded figures because it ties into reaction rolls, but within Rank 0 you could have [0] base security, [1] vaccers (who are cleared for vacc suit operations) [2] scouts (who ride with patrolmen but aren't cleared to pilot) and [3] patrolmen. [4] is detective, technically rank 1 but without actual underlings, and [5] is an actual sergeant.

In a controlled space setting (THS or Babylon 5, as opposed to Star Wars or Space USA), I'd be tempted to arm the bottom rung with truncheons and attitude - ranged weapons in space are serious business.

Flyndaran · 05-26-2015, 02:55 PM

And humans being human means that official rank doesn't always correlate with respect and unquestioning orders following.
My dad never rose above beat cop, but his experience and obvious integrity garnered boat loads of respect from the public if not from weaselly authority figures.
(People he had arrested gave me their condolences when he died. That right there says more about him than I ever could.)

05-25-2015, 08:06 AM	#2
GoblynByte Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Dayton, OH	Re: Police Rank Progression titles... I'm rather embarrassed. It seems I explored this same subject on the forums back in 2011. I lost all memory of it. I must have lost my notes on it, though, and my forum search turned up nothing. __________________ A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."

05-26-2015, 02:55 PM	#4
Flyndaran Untagged Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon	Re: Police Rank Progression titles... And humans being human means that official rank doesn't always correlate with respect and unquestioning orders following. My dad never rose above beat cop, but his experience and obvious integrity garnered boat loads of respect from the public if not from weaselly authority figures. (People he had arrested gave me their condolences when he died. That right there says more about him than I ever could.) __________________ Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.