Standard Operating Procedure: Security
Guide to Security
Rules of Engagement
Security is required to talk first first and inform a suspect of their charges, before asking them to come quietly before performing a non-lethal takedown...
with significant caveats:
If the suspect is:
- Armed, dangerous, or accused with valid reasoning of a capital crime.
- Likely to immediately resist arrest, chiefly: if they have already done so, or their records indicate they will be uncooperative.
- Committing a crime in the presence of an officer. An officer doesn’t have to talk first if they are standing there when you commit a crime.
- You are the only security member/Head of Staff
Security should use non-lethal means (such as the provided stunbaton) where possible, except for in exceptional circumstances, such as:
- Hostile environments and extreme situations (such as Red Alert)
- Criminals fleeing and attacking into/from space or Lavaland, during a trial, revolutions, being mobbed by a group.
- Armory: Anyone breaking into, out of, stealing from, or having stolen from it.
- When your life is in danger, or will be in danger if you get close to someone.
- Nonlethals and/or containment ineffective– when it is not possible (or unreasonably difficult) to contain a suspect or enemy. This is less applicable if they are cooperating, obviously.
Your job is to Protect the Crew and Preserve Order. You are allowed to carry lethal weapons, but just because you are allowed to use lethal force or arrest someone, does not mean every situation demands it. You should not play Security to kill people. Security is allowed, and in many cases, encouraged to deviate from Space Law, but you should have at least a somewhat defensible reason to do so, and you are responsible if your reasoning doesn't hold up. If no one presses charges on an infraction, you shouldn't arrest them for it.
Weapons that are able to swap between lethal and non-lethal modes, or to load non-lethal ammunition, are still to be considered lethal weapons. The assumption should be that if a weapon is capable of firing lethally, it will be used lethally.
Security is allowed and encouraged to deputize and arm the crew if most of their department is dead, or in a Red alert scenario. Once the crisis has passed, all weapons should be returned to the armory in good time, lest their owners be charged with 307, particularly possession of a weapon without a permit.
A department's guard is considered part of that department, and answers to that department's head of staff, who may demote them for misconduct as they see fit.
Weapon Permit
What are weapons permits, and what do they do?
Weapon permits are permits granted to Security and Command members roundstart, and that give the wearer permission to carry a lethal weapon, not to use it. Assault is still Assault even with a weapons permit, and Security can still confiscate weapons from you if they are used to commit a crime; here, the Self-Defense and Good Samaritan modifiers are your friend.
The weapon permit access will stop Officer Beepsky from attacking you in the hallway for having a weapon, and will show up on security HUDs and permit HUDs, particularly at Cargo, who will likely want to see your permit before you buy a weapon.
How do I get one? Who can take one from me?
In order to get a weapon permit, you need to ask either the Head of Security, or the Head of Personnel. They can use their ID console to grant you the Weapons Permit access.
You have been allowed and permitted to carry a lethal weapon, but this does not always last; the Head of Security (or any Security Officer if those are not present) can remove your weapon permit access at their ID console at their discretion.
Again, committing a crime while carrying a Weapon Permit does not absolve you of responsibility for that crime.
Alert Standards
| Alert Level | Description | When To Raise To | When to Lower To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Generally used for shifts where there are no (or very few) projected threats, or where all threats have been soundly defeated. Party time! | N/A | All/Most threats cleared |
| Blue | Used for shifts when threats are projected to assault Space Station 13. Security is in an enhanced state of readiness, and should prepare to do battle with any manner of threat. | Illegal activity suspected | Threat appears to have been neutralized |
| Amber | Typically raised to when there is a confirmed threat or crisis of any sort on or near the station. Random searches are now permitted. | Hostile agents/threat confirmed | Security or Medical Emergency passed, threat still present, or crew no longer needed for Red Alert |
| Violet | Much like Amber alert, except the emergency involves Medical. Should be raised to in times of serious biohazards, crew death, etc. | Confirmed outbreak of biohazard of any level, or virus | Quarantine no longer necessary or otherwise, biohazard dealt with |
| Orange | Like Amber alert, but for an Engineering emergency. Should be raised to in cases such as a loose Tesla, or serious gas leak. | Loose tesla, gas leak in distro, meteor damage, radiation storm | Damage has been repaired/station integrity restored |
| Red | Typically raised to when the situation is dire, Red Alert is the moment Security alone are no longer sufficient to handle a crisis, and all hands are needed.
Command and Security are to begin to conscript non-essential staff and unlock the armory, and are allowed to perform executions with proper respect to the Captain and/or Head of Security given first. Here, enforcing Law is second to protecting the station. |
Security, either due to having mostly been incapacitated, having clocked out, or otherwise, cannot effectively fight the current threat alone. | The most severe of threats have been dealt with, and the crew is no longer needed to assist in defending the station. |
| Delta | The situation is likely beyond recovery, and there is an immediate, significant threat to the station. The captain, or a sufficient surrogate, should request the nuclear codes and deliver the authentication disk to the vault, before triggering the explosive, as soon as possible. Ignoring orders from Heads of Staff or Security is punishable by immediate execution. | Delta Alert is automatically raised to by Central Command. | Delta Alert is automatically lowered from by Central Command. |
The Chain of Command
This chain of command must be obeyed: the Head of Security cannot take the Captainship before all other members have been considered. You may refuse the position of Captain if there are other heads, but if you are the only head on-shift, you may not.
Executions
This should be the last resort where possible. Unnecessary executions are considered Murder, see 401.
In situations where Capital Crimes are committed, and other methods of discipline are inappropriate or ineffective, an execution may be deemed necessary. Executions are only for crew and foreign agents. The Head of Security and Captain must both be notified, if they are alive, and allowed to veto a potential execution.
If these roles are unavailable, the task falls to the Warden, then finally, a group vote by the Security team.
A trial should be performed to allow the criminal to seek clemency wherever possible. However, this can be skipped if reasonable to do so, such as on Red Alert or higher. A prisoner due for execution is allowed to request a type of execution and other accommodations, such as access to a Chaplain; these should be provided for where reasonable to do so.
If an execution is permitted, it should be carried out by the Head of Security or Warden, otherwise the task falls to the most available surrogate.
Addendum - To be edited correctly
Space Law is a rough guideline security should use when applying punishment.
Only the highest sentence is applied.
Anyone aiding or abetting a criminal should also be charged under the same crimes per Space Law, but try to take intent and reasoning into account.
The Head of Security has final say over security matters and sentencing. However, security is allowed to arrest the Head of Security if it is clear that they are being abusive, or dangerous to the station's well-being. Other command staff are not in charge of security unless they are acting captain without an existing Head of Security.
On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the Head of Security to properly handle abusive security. A Head of Security that is enabling Security to violate procedure or encouraging them to do so can be charged with aiding and abetting in security crimes.
