Knight errant, Municipal Policing Procedure Options

[Paul]

Okay it seems pretty clear that Knight Errant is going to succeed Lone Star Security Services in holding the municipal policing contract for the Seattle Metroplex. I've seen Knight Errant referenced as holding municipal contracts elsewhere in the UCAS-but I've never seen anything that gives me any kind of detail on how they run their business.

So this thread is to rampantly ass speculate and formulate systematic wild ass guesses on how they'd run their business-including how they'd divide up assorted duties, divisions and responsibilities; how we think the transition would go-does LSSS leave the precinct houses intact for KE to assume control of-or do they take their ball and go home? Where do all the previous cops go when they stop being needed in Seattle? How quick would the transition from LSSS to KE be?

[Paul]

The way I see it is LSSS is under no obligation to turn over the property currently in their possession. This, to me, would include physical plant stuff-actual precinct houses, regional and transitional jails, impound yards, and I suspect their data. Actual case files. Now I suspect public outcry would follow if they played too hard ball with the case files, so I suspect they'd negotiate a settlement with KE for a portion of the case files. some things would be sensitive, or sanitized.

Personnel-obviously some people will remain on site, fulfilling CSD contracts, and to maintain a LSSS presence in Seattle. But some would likely face transfer to other locations, and still others would just be ass out of a job.

What else am I missing folks?

[Mardrax]

..., and still others would just be ass out of a job.

A lot of whom will be picked up by KE. A lot of the other ones will probably get nice offers to go with being picked up.
You can't train the decades of neighbourhood experience of a beat cop into an academy student.

[Paul]

You do have to wonder how many people have signed noncompetitive clauses or have them built into their contracts. It's pretty standard in my wife's industry. But I agree at least some would be picked up KE.

[AppliedCheese]

I think there's a whole slew on this in Seattle 2070. If I recall, its a public works contract with the facilities being essentially on lease from the city of Seattle. There's a ton of stuff about some more vindictive LSSS types trashing the place, ruining files, that sort of the thing, as they left. Also, LSSS maintains the prisons contract and some regions that don't technically fall under the metroplex, which leads to some clashing between the new police force and the prison system.

All the Star guys basically had to re-apply for their jobs, and then go through KE induction training to make sure they met the new standard, which pissed more than a few of them off, especially the old timers. Quite a few went into private business in one form or another.

KE, in general, is considered to be somewhat harder than the star, and is one of the reasons Brackhaven brought them in for his tough on crime part of his campaign. Its hinted that tough on crime includes a somewhat more militant approach to handling the barrens and meta-ghettos as well as increased security in those area where Humanis has ditched their white robes for lawyers and community centers. being the new kids on the block, they also have to carve their reputation

Your average KE officer is more akin to a state trooper than your local donut-muncher, and of course is packing Ares equipment. Organizationally, they are more militant, better equipped, and more capable of handling SIGINT, numbers crunching, and all the modern technical aspects of crime fighting. The major downside is that, aside from those LSSS officers they retained, KE has far less institutional memory of the city. While it means a lot less corruption (low level anyhow) it also means that they are far less terrain savvy and their informant network is still being fully built.

[Critias]

Seattle 2072, not 2070, just FYI (in case folks are looking for it on amazon or ebay or whatnot). But, yeah, this all went down several years ago in-game, and some repercussions have already shown up here and there, in canon.

[Paul]

Damn. I have the book but it's on my to read list. Still playing catch up on 4e. Damn, off to read I go! Thanks folks!

[Manunancy]

You do have to wonder how many people have signed noncompetitive clauses or have them built into their contracts. It's pretty standard in my wife's industry. But I agree at least some would be picked up KE.

The transfer of authority may include some specific waivers to the noncompetition clauses - with KE or the mayor's office paying the bill. One point ot keep is mind is that if Lone Star plays hardball and basically destroys it's law enforcement infrastructure to force KE to rebuilt it from scratch, they're going to get a public relation disaster. And possibily some fairly expensive lawsuits.

another point to consider is that the original Lone Star contract probably included some exit clauses dealing with the resignation of contract and transfer of authority. Reneging on those clauses would be a very risky move for Lone Star - it's the sort of breach of contract the Corporate Court frowns upon.

[Critias]

Damn. I have the book but it's on my to read list. Still playing catch up on 4e. Damn, off to read I go! Thanks folks!

There's a whole little sub-chapter (near the back, I want to say?) detailing the transfer of power, but there are snippets of information scattered all over the place, too. When they discuss a certain penitentiary somewhere in a district write-up, for instance, or talking about the HQ in Downtown, or what-have-you, the LS/KE transfer gets a little Jackpointer discussion. Most of it, though, is there in its own section.

[CanRay]

You do have to wonder how many people have signed noncompetitive clauses or have them built into their contracts. It's pretty standard in my wife's industry. But I agree at least some would be picked up KE.

Considering the fact that Lone Star is a country all on it's own (AA-Level Megacorporation), there'd also have to be visa applications and citizenship issues to boot!

Some were picked up, I bet. Especially in records (Bureaucrats never leave, just change flags). But non-compete clauses are standard in Megacorporation Agreements, IIRC. Not that it stops people from doing extractions (Friendly and Hostile) anyhow. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Critias]

In addition to tackling the normal inter-corporate paperwork, mind you, it's specifically been pointed out that Lone Star officers trying to transfer to Seattle Knight Errant had to go back through the Academy. No matter how long they'd been on the force, what job they'd had, how badass they were -- they had to wade back through Being A Cop 101, no doubt receiving special attention from training instructors along the way. So Knight Errant certainly wasn't out to make it easy and fun to jump ship, they were more interested in rubbing Lone Star's nose in it.

[Manunancy]

In addition to tackling the normal inter-corporate paperwork, mind you, it's specifically been pointed out that Lone Star officers trying to transfer to Seattle Knight Errant had to go back through the Academy. No matter how long they'd been on the force, what job they'd had, how badass they were -- they had to wade back through Being A Cop 101, no doubt receiving special attention from training instructors along the way. So Knight Errant certainly wasn't out to make it easy and fun to jump ship, they were more interested in rubbing Lone Star's nose in it.

In my opinion it's more that their own formation and procedures aren't the same and they want all of their cops to be on the same page there. Mxing peopels with different formations in the same job can be a great recipe for screwups. Sending them back to teh academy has the bonus of separating the wheat from teh chaff when it comes to motivation.

[ggodo]

One of my NPCs didn't get picked up because he spent a few years SINless and KE didn't really know what to do with that.

[Wakshaani]

Lotsof it coverd above, but, yeah, while the corporate culture of the Star was more Cowboy-like, shot through with a healthy level of corruption, KE is built around corporate security ala Damien Knight, which makes a more militant, military-like system. You'll see less foot patrols and less unarmored officers, more teams of heavies that march. Less pistols, more carbines. There's bound to be a professional police force in KE, since they've had municipal contracts for decades now, and they'll want to signpost Seattle as a huge advertising thing, so expect big names to be running the show and trying to keep it in action.

The Lone Star buildings were probably transferred over to them by lease, rather than purchase, so they were kicked out when they lost the contracts, having to turn the physical areas over, but files and such were probably lawyered into Intellectual Property and moving them to the new guys wasn't graceful at ALL. We know lots of things fell through the cracks, and only a handful (10% wasn't it? Or 20%?) of the Lone Star personell moved over, the rest transferred to other states or quit.

I have to say, though, that I'd love to see a new law enforcement book come together. Knight Errant in the front third, Lone Star in the next third, the last third for lesser security, gadgets, templates, and campaign stuff. Lord knows that the old Lone Star book was a big hit and its, what, 17 years old now?

I thnk it's time.

[CanRay]

Lone Star was also heavily racist, following the morals of their founder... I played that up quite a bit while running my campaigns.

Lone Star is like the Texas Rangers, Knight Errant is like Blackwater with some Sensitivity Training.

[ggodo]

That's how I play KE, Those guys have all the guns.

[Manunancy]

I just thought about another reason to have the transfered LS cops going through the academy : it gives KE more time and opportunity to spot a Lone Star mole before it can hurt them.

[Bigity]

Lone Star was also heavily racist, following the morals of their founder... I played that up quite a bit while running my campaigns.

Lone Star is like the Texas Rangers, Knight Errant is like Blackwater with some Sensitivity Training.

Except the Texas Rangers in SR are more military units than the whole 'one Indian fight, one ranger' thing.