Standard Operating Procedure: Security
Guide to Security
Rules of Engagement
Security is required to try to talk to the perpetuator about their crimes and ask for them to come quietly before attempting a non-lethal takedown. Charges always need to be read to perpetuators, as soon as is reasonably possible.
The above does not apply if the suspect:
- is armed AND an immediate threat to you or others,
- Is accused and reasonably suspected of committing a capital crime,
- Has already resisted arrest, OR their records indicate they are likely to do so.
- Commits a crime in the presence of an officer.
Secondly, Security MUST use non-lethal means where possible AND reasonable, except for in exceptional circumstances, chiefly:
- Red Alert OR when responding to a stationwide crisis
- Criminals using any of the following: Space, Lavaland, non-station Z-levels (Gateway) to evade Security
- Large groups/mobs
- Armory: Anyone breaking into, out of, stealing from, or having stolen from it.
- Your life is in immediate danger, or WILL be if you get close to them.
- Non-lethals/containment ineffective. This is less applicable if they are cooperating, obviously.
Your job is to Protect the Crew and Preserve Order. You should not play Security to kill people. Security is allowed, and in many cases, encouraged to deviate from Space Law in a positive way. However, you MUST have a defensible reason to do so, at the risk of a job-ban should your reasoning not hold up.
Security is encouraged to deputize and arm the crew if most of their department is dead, or in a Red alert scenario.
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 the Cargo console, which will check for a permit before letting you purchase a weapon.
Weapons that do not clearly present their lethality are always considered lethal. The assumption should be that if a weapon is capable of firing lethally, it will be used lethally.
How do I get one? Who can take one from me?
In order to get a weapon permit, you need to ask the Head of Security. They can use their ID console to grant you the Weapons Permit access, or ask the Head of Personnel to permit you to do so.
The Head of Personnel or Captain must get permission from the Head of Security before selling or setting the price of weapon permit access. Any weapon permit sales go to the station's defense budget account, not the Head of Personnel's pocketbook. Doing so is considered embezzlement of defense funds.
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.
Red alert is general armament of the entire crew. Command is obligated to authorize the crew to arm themselves while reasonably allowing weapon dispersal. (Cargo, Security, Science, etc). C&S are allowed to perform executions with proper respect to the Captain and/or Head of Security's given first. OOC: Red Alert is all hands on deck and waives valid hunting rules. By swiping Red, you not only Authorize, but ask the crew to help assist fighting the threat. |
|
The most severe of threats have been dealt with, and the crew is no longer needed to assist in defending the station. All weapons should be returned to the armory in good time. |
| 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.
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.
Executions
This should be the last resort where possible. Unnecessary executions are considered Murder, see 401. Killing other players unnecessarily, especially if you are wrong, will result in you being banned from playing Security.
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. In order to carry out an execution:
- 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.
- The criminal should receive a trial in order to seek clemency where possible and reasonable. (This requirement can be skipped on Red Alert or higher)
- The criminal should be permitted to request a type of execution and other accommodations, such as access to a Chaplain; these should be provided when reasonable.
- It will then be carried out by the Head of Security, or Warden personally. If both are incapacitated, the task falls to the foremost available surrogate.
