POLICE ENCOUNTERS
We understand that due to the volatile nature of policing in the current political climate, players may come into the server with preconceived ideas or notions of what law enforcement should or should not do. This guide aims to lay the framework for what players can expect from our LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers)
As a premium realistic environment, Novus law enforcement are highly trained and given continuing education. Various instructors in Novus have real-life law enforcement experience that they harness to increase realism in the game. Further, each peace officer is given continuing education or “in-service training” regarding policing tactics or case law.
Our goal is for every scene to have a realistic outcome. Remember, you do not win or lose in roleplay; simply create a scene with the hope it has an enjoyable and realistic conclusion.
A criminal character should have no knowledge of this information in-character. Further, a criminal should not know any specific agency policy or case law; play your character based on their knowledge level they would have, not yourself ooc.
Use of Force & Case Law.
Information on how Novus Law Enforcement will deploy use of force in roleplay and supporting legal precedent.
A player pulling a firearm in the presence of a law enforcement officer is viewed as initiation and may lead to deadly force. As in real life, one does not need to wait to ‘point the gun’ at you to be shot.
Police may use deadly force if the fleeing suspect poses imminent danger to the public. These facts must have been present and known to the peace officer prior to the engagement and articulable by the officer. (Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1)
With this being said, it is roleplay etiquette in Novus that a peace officer will give a fleeing suspect at least one meaningful chance to escape in the roleplay after initial contact.
Peace Officers will do all in their power to free a hostage from captivity and give one meaningful chance for the criminal player to try and escape. However, a hostage taker may be shot if they fail to do the following:
- Provide clear and realistic demands to police.
- Keep the hostage safe and healthy with no harm being brought.
- Communicate clearly with police.
- Follow directives given by police to resolve the situation.
As police vehicles contain lethal weapons in quick access of a criminal, should a criminal enter a police vehicle they can expect lethal force to be a legal option in the RP scene.
Peace Officers will use which ever level of force deemed necessary by their training. Less-lethal devices will often be preferred first. Should criminals be viewed to have handguns, officers will only resort to their handguns or shotguns should they not be outnumbered.
Officers within their in-character handbook have their own unit limitations. Unless a special circumstance or allowed by a supervisor, typically 2 units will be on a apprehension with no force present, 4 units on a pursuit and 5 to a high-risk felony.
During a gang war Peace Officers will do their best to secure and protect the innocent public first then give attention to the gang members. Generally, peace officers will allow the gangs to “duke it out” and hold a perimeter. If a gang members fires at the police, or should they not keep distance, normal policing resumes.
It is important to understand ICly the polices job is to protect the innocent public. The streets of El Reno will not turn into Fallujah during a gang war and order must be maintained.
Traffic crime is viewed as seriously in Novus as it is in real life. In order to avoid law enforcement detection, you will need to play your character like they have real fear of consequence. Adhere to speed limits, road signs and motor laws found in our penal code.
Every law enforcement agency in Novus allows their peace officer players ‘discretion’ in whether too issue a citation or warning. This will be determined of your driving history, severity of the infraction and often the demeanor you are playing with the character.
Peace Officers must have developed reasonable suspicion and may pat you down or “frisk” for weapons. Reasonable suspicion is a lesser burden of proof in comparison to probable cause. Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)
For a peace officer to develop reasonable suspicion, they must meet the threshold that a “reasonable group of people” would come to a likeminded conclusion that something is “reasonably suspicious”
A full search is looking for all items. This is developed from probable cause a crime has been committed.
Distracting a Peace Officer or a suspect on a traffic stop can be viewed as interfering with the investigation and is arrestable.
A Peace Officer may detain you for their safety and yours while an investigation is taking place. This does not mean you are under arrest, however you’re not free to leave.
Pennsylvania v. Mimms, 434 U.S. 106 (1977) ruled that police can order a person out of a vehicle following a traffic stop and conduct a pat-down to check for weapons.
All players motoring on New Malverne roads are expected to produce a valid license and registration when ordered to do so on a traffic stop.
As stated in the IC State Penal Code, New Malverne is a “Stop and ID State” – This means if a peace officer has reasonable suspicion to believe you are about to commit a crime, are committing a crime, or may commit a crime in the future they may lawfully request identification.
Search & Traffic Stop
A bit of background on how peace officer players will respond in situations of searching or stopping players for traffic infractions.
Vehicle & Foot Pursuits
Expanded understanding of the Novus roleplay style in relation to a vehicle pursuit and running on foot. Our goal is to balance realism while still giving an underworld player the chance to escape. Risk vs. Reward!
Etiquette – Both the underworld player and peace officers should have respect for the other person behind the screen. Do not attempt to immediate stop a scene or discourage roleplay – however, at a point realism takes over and you are caught.
A suspect will be given a reasonable amount of time in a pursuit before any forcible stop is performed.
PIT Maneuvers – Officers are highly trained and regulated on using a PIT maneuver. These maneuvers are a controlled way to spin a suspects vehicle out to stop a pursuit. PITs will be conducted and regulated by IC policy for each agency.
Stop Sticks – Officers may use Stop Sticks or Spike Strips to puncture an offenders tires. This involves risk on the officers part to do so.
StarChase – If an offender has escaped law enforcement and is ‘reengaged’ by law enforcement, should that officer be quired with StarChase a dart may be deployed. The criminal player has the option to remove this dart from their vehicle if they reach an area to do so.
Offenders and Peace Officers are asked to not repair in the middle of a pursuit. If your vehicle is damaged, flee on foot. An Officer with a damaged vehicle must disengage from the scene if their vehicle is inoperable.
Ramming or playing bumper cars is poor pursuit etiquette. Don’t do it.
If you committed a violent crime or there are contributing factors during the pursuit, more tactics will be used to stop you as it becomes realistically necessary to apprehend for the safety of the public. Some of these factors are; hitting locals, ramming police, driving into oncoming traffic, or getting other involves in the pursuit for an “interference” car.
A Peace Officer will write a search warrant if they have probable cause to believe something illegal relevant to a case may be found if they search your dwelling. This can be a property or vehicle you own, rent or frequent. Like all warrants a search warrant is applied for and must be reviewed / signed by a Judge. The underworld player will receive a 1 hour notice of all search warrants taking place OOC so they can have an opportunity to provide resistance roleplay.
Evidence left on a scene such as a fingerprint or DNA may result in a warrant being issued should you be in the system and the material collected meet a Judges burden of proof. There will be no early notification for a person warrant.
A Peace Officer is required to read a person their rights before any incriminating questions are asked following arrest. Not purely after an arrest is made.
If an Officer does not read an arrestee their miranda warning, any incriminating statements made following arrest would be dismissed. However, this would require the suspect to enter the court process phase of roleplay.
Warrants and Evidence
In the development of realistic roleplay law enforcement will start involved investigations that often have a background of detailed roleplay. Evidence collection may lead to warrants days after the initial scene has taken place.
Clothing and Apperance
What you wear can send signals. This is something you must understand will have an impact on how your character is perceived.
There is a NoPixel culture of players wearing masks 24/7 – In a post-covid society, masks are in use less. Wearing a mask especially one covering your entire face will be viewed as “taboo” and strange by law enforcement. Of course attention will be garnered because of this. Choose when to wear a mask carefully.
Law enforcement will view a person wearing a bulletproof vest as something a bit strange and out of the ordinary. Due to this the player may receive extra scrutiny or police attention.
If Peace Officer players see a person or group of people earing what is known to be gang colors or markings, this will obviously increase law enforcement attention to the group.
Getting arrested in game can suck if you really wanted to get away in your scene. However, we ask you do not get upset OOC that a police player is just doing their IC job. Each side of the scene must understand not everything will go their way. Roleplay is dynamic and we should appreciate that fact!