This is a suggestion I have been thinking about for quite a while now, honestly ever since my return to the community way back in March of last year. However upon a recent surge in players, and interest in improving RP as a whole I thought now would be a great time to propose a serious suggestion into this matter. I know ideas similar to this have been shut down in the past, and with my recent behavior the past few months not being to great I know this isn't super convincing but hopefully some serious thought is put into this instead of just insta-denying something that would more than definitely prove beneficial for longevity, and department quality in general.
Description of idea:
My proposition would be adding a formal investigations division within the PLPD to handle INGAME investigations only. The unit in itself would operate much like TFU, however instead of gearing up and receiving TFU like equipment, investigators/detectives would gear up and receive an alternate uniform with no additional equipment. This uniform could be quite flexible however I would personally suggest using a similar uniform to traffic, but write INVESTIGATIONS on the back of the uniform. Another important note to make is this would be a secondary division such as TFU, and as a result officers would have the option to patrol as their primary division. However I believe it would be interesting if you limited officers to joining either CIU or TFU, meaning they could only join one of the two patrolling sub divisions if accepted. It is important to note that in game, there is absolutely 0 effort put into investigations, and it really doesn't do anything for promoting better police RP, nor does it give players playing as civilians any real reason to develop complex and intricate scenes where good investigators may be required. Below I will cover some brief details that I would personally propose for the investigations unit in game.
Chain of Command
In order to avoid further complication within the ranking structure of the PLPD, I have made this as simple as I can while also allowing for useful progression within the division as a whole.
Division Coordinator
The CIU coordinator would be equivalent to a normal division head, with a fancier name to be more realistic to what you may find in an investigations division within the real world. This position would be filled by a Lieutenant, and this individual would be a functioning member of Tactical Operations working closely with the head of department in order to progress the division as a whole. This individual would be responsible for coordinating all policies, personnel, and operations within the division. While also enforcing quality control within the division as a whole.
Assistant Coordinator
The CIU assistant coordinator would be ideally filled by a Staff Sergeant within the PLPD, or alternatively a Sergeant (as I am not sure that CoD's have plans to use Staff Sergeant in administrative roles) This individual would be the second in command of the division as a whole, and would have the same duties as the coordinator, however they would lack the power to veto the coordinator.
Senior Detective
A senior detective is the highest rank that any member within the CIU can achieve without an application. Senior Detectives are detectives who have valuable experience within the division as a whole, and are expected to have a large in game presence, setting a strong example for detectives who may be serving below them. They are expected to take lead in more complex investigations, and host training sessions for lower ranking detectives to attend and learn from. Aside from the responsibilities listed above Senior Detectives also may be asked to assist in managing investigations from an administrative point of view.
Detective
A detective is the first full time member of the CIU, As a detective members are expected to have a complex and thorough understanding of the penal code, as well as the ability to perform in depth investigations and draw a conclusion. As a detective members are expected to know how to use a variety of different investigative tools such as finger print scanners, cotton swabs to gather and collect evidence, as well as a variety of different finger print dusts in order to gather more conclusive evidence on crime scenes. Detectives are expect to maintain a higher level of professionalism than normal PLPD patrol officers, and would have a large in game presence on a day to day basis.
Probationary Detective
A probationary detective is a rank reserved for new recruits into the division, as a probationary detective individuals are expected to complete a set amount of trainings in order to insure they are prepared to perform detailed, and well thought out investigations in game on a day to day basis. As a probationary detective individuals have not yet earned the right to perform investigations without the supervision of a full time ranking member of the department, and these individuals are under constant supervision to ensure they have what it takes to be a full time member of the division.
*I would personally prefer the use of Investigator in place of detective but I included the detective rank as to avoid confliction with the Internal Affairs division*
**Promotion requirements would be released at a later date if genuine interest is shown by department command, if anyone is curious as to what I have developed for this suggestion just message me on steam**
Application Process
In order to become a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit, recruits must first pass a written application section, in which they will be asked a variety of different questions in order to determine whether or not they would make a good fit for the division as a whole. This process will be designed to be selective, and will be the first line of screening to ensure that all officers that pass this phase are ready to take on the role of probationary detective. Upon passing the written phase of the application, all recruits will be expected to attend an orientation, hosted by a Senior Detective in order to earn the rank of probationary detective. Requirements for applicants would be as follows.
- At least 3 days play time.
- No written warnings/reprimands within the past 30 days.
- No warnings or bans while on duty in the past 60 days.
- Must be a member of the PLPD ranking Officer or higher.
Some people will certainly look at the requirements listed above and think they are too relaxed, however I designed them this way in order to ensure that anyone who genuinely had interest in performing complex investigations would have the opportunity to do so, as long as they have the required skills, and mentality.
Incident Reports
As a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit you will be expected to write incident reports on any SERIOUS investigation you perform, this would be things such as robberies in excess of 20,000 dollars, homicides, and kidnappings. As a member of DOJRP over on FiveM and a member of the Criminal Investigations Division over there this is an idea that I will give most of the credit to them for. While at times this can seem like a hassle, by requiring incident reports to be filled out it allows for much more complex investigations to be performed even after the in game portion of an investigation has concluded. I have taken a lot of inspiration from DOJ with this idea, however the system I have "developed" is a lot less work-like and designed to be less intimidating and more casual, but also allowing for more in depth RP to be performed for those who are interested.
Equipment Available
The division as a whole would not have access to any additional physical equipment in game, and corporals + within the division would loose access to their shotguns in their trunk while patrolling as active CIU. With that being said members of the CIU will gain access to various pieces of equipment to be used in roleplay scenarios. A brief overview will be listed below.
- Finger print scanners, which could be used to scan finger prints and compare them across a computer database to find a potential match, this can be used to ID uncompliant suspects as well, as long so the individual is within the police database.
- Finger print dust, which can be used on commonly touched surfaces within a crime scene, such as door handles, firearms, weapon shafts etc., and run under black light in order to find fingerprints.
- Evidence bags, used to store evidence securely, and ensure that it can not be contaminated.
- Latex gloves, these would be used to handle evidence and ensure evidence is not contaminated by detectives.
- Basic tools such as, cotton swabs, and tweezers which can be used to gather forensic evidence such as blood, and hair follicles.
The detectives tool kit would certainly be subject to change if approved however this is just a base suggestion, intended to include room for improvement in the future.
What benefits would this idea have for the department:
The benefits I can see by adding an in game investigations unit would be endless. For starters it increases the professionalism and quality of the department as a whole, and gives officers more options when on their daily patrols. On a more community wide scale it allows for higher RP standards for those who are interested, and would incentivize individuals to create more scenarios where complex investigations may be required. More importantly it gives the department an organized and professional means to handle complex investigations, similar to how TFU handles shootouts.
What potential negatives could this have for the department:
I don't see any downsides to my personal suggestion, as I have taken some extra time to ensure that it would require minimal development time, wasting the communities resources. However if anyone has any concerns feel free to bring them up! I may have addressed your concern in my own document however due to sheer length not included it on this thread, I will be more than willing to answer any questions that may arise as a result of this!
Other additions:
Hopefully this is given an equal opportunity and fair judgement as I believe it would prove to be nothing but beneficial not only for the department but community as a whole.
Description of idea:
My proposition would be adding a formal investigations division within the PLPD to handle INGAME investigations only. The unit in itself would operate much like TFU, however instead of gearing up and receiving TFU like equipment, investigators/detectives would gear up and receive an alternate uniform with no additional equipment. This uniform could be quite flexible however I would personally suggest using a similar uniform to traffic, but write INVESTIGATIONS on the back of the uniform. Another important note to make is this would be a secondary division such as TFU, and as a result officers would have the option to patrol as their primary division. However I believe it would be interesting if you limited officers to joining either CIU or TFU, meaning they could only join one of the two patrolling sub divisions if accepted. It is important to note that in game, there is absolutely 0 effort put into investigations, and it really doesn't do anything for promoting better police RP, nor does it give players playing as civilians any real reason to develop complex and intricate scenes where good investigators may be required. Below I will cover some brief details that I would personally propose for the investigations unit in game.
Chain of Command
In order to avoid further complication within the ranking structure of the PLPD, I have made this as simple as I can while also allowing for useful progression within the division as a whole.
Division Coordinator
The CIU coordinator would be equivalent to a normal division head, with a fancier name to be more realistic to what you may find in an investigations division within the real world. This position would be filled by a Lieutenant, and this individual would be a functioning member of Tactical Operations working closely with the head of department in order to progress the division as a whole. This individual would be responsible for coordinating all policies, personnel, and operations within the division. While also enforcing quality control within the division as a whole.
Assistant Coordinator
The CIU assistant coordinator would be ideally filled by a Staff Sergeant within the PLPD, or alternatively a Sergeant (as I am not sure that CoD's have plans to use Staff Sergeant in administrative roles) This individual would be the second in command of the division as a whole, and would have the same duties as the coordinator, however they would lack the power to veto the coordinator.
Senior Detective
A senior detective is the highest rank that any member within the CIU can achieve without an application. Senior Detectives are detectives who have valuable experience within the division as a whole, and are expected to have a large in game presence, setting a strong example for detectives who may be serving below them. They are expected to take lead in more complex investigations, and host training sessions for lower ranking detectives to attend and learn from. Aside from the responsibilities listed above Senior Detectives also may be asked to assist in managing investigations from an administrative point of view.
Detective
A detective is the first full time member of the CIU, As a detective members are expected to have a complex and thorough understanding of the penal code, as well as the ability to perform in depth investigations and draw a conclusion. As a detective members are expected to know how to use a variety of different investigative tools such as finger print scanners, cotton swabs to gather and collect evidence, as well as a variety of different finger print dusts in order to gather more conclusive evidence on crime scenes. Detectives are expect to maintain a higher level of professionalism than normal PLPD patrol officers, and would have a large in game presence on a day to day basis.
Probationary Detective
A probationary detective is a rank reserved for new recruits into the division, as a probationary detective individuals are expected to complete a set amount of trainings in order to insure they are prepared to perform detailed, and well thought out investigations in game on a day to day basis. As a probationary detective individuals have not yet earned the right to perform investigations without the supervision of a full time ranking member of the department, and these individuals are under constant supervision to ensure they have what it takes to be a full time member of the division.
*I would personally prefer the use of Investigator in place of detective but I included the detective rank as to avoid confliction with the Internal Affairs division*
**Promotion requirements would be released at a later date if genuine interest is shown by department command, if anyone is curious as to what I have developed for this suggestion just message me on steam**
Application Process
In order to become a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit, recruits must first pass a written application section, in which they will be asked a variety of different questions in order to determine whether or not they would make a good fit for the division as a whole. This process will be designed to be selective, and will be the first line of screening to ensure that all officers that pass this phase are ready to take on the role of probationary detective. Upon passing the written phase of the application, all recruits will be expected to attend an orientation, hosted by a Senior Detective in order to earn the rank of probationary detective. Requirements for applicants would be as follows.
- At least 3 days play time.
- No written warnings/reprimands within the past 30 days.
- No warnings or bans while on duty in the past 60 days.
- Must be a member of the PLPD ranking Officer or higher.
Some people will certainly look at the requirements listed above and think they are too relaxed, however I designed them this way in order to ensure that anyone who genuinely had interest in performing complex investigations would have the opportunity to do so, as long as they have the required skills, and mentality.
Incident Reports
As a member of the Criminal Investigations Unit you will be expected to write incident reports on any SERIOUS investigation you perform, this would be things such as robberies in excess of 20,000 dollars, homicides, and kidnappings. As a member of DOJRP over on FiveM and a member of the Criminal Investigations Division over there this is an idea that I will give most of the credit to them for. While at times this can seem like a hassle, by requiring incident reports to be filled out it allows for much more complex investigations to be performed even after the in game portion of an investigation has concluded. I have taken a lot of inspiration from DOJ with this idea, however the system I have "developed" is a lot less work-like and designed to be less intimidating and more casual, but also allowing for more in depth RP to be performed for those who are interested.
Equipment Available
The division as a whole would not have access to any additional physical equipment in game, and corporals + within the division would loose access to their shotguns in their trunk while patrolling as active CIU. With that being said members of the CIU will gain access to various pieces of equipment to be used in roleplay scenarios. A brief overview will be listed below.
- Finger print scanners, which could be used to scan finger prints and compare them across a computer database to find a potential match, this can be used to ID uncompliant suspects as well, as long so the individual is within the police database.
- Finger print dust, which can be used on commonly touched surfaces within a crime scene, such as door handles, firearms, weapon shafts etc., and run under black light in order to find fingerprints.
- Evidence bags, used to store evidence securely, and ensure that it can not be contaminated.
- Latex gloves, these would be used to handle evidence and ensure evidence is not contaminated by detectives.
- Basic tools such as, cotton swabs, and tweezers which can be used to gather forensic evidence such as blood, and hair follicles.
The detectives tool kit would certainly be subject to change if approved however this is just a base suggestion, intended to include room for improvement in the future.
What benefits would this idea have for the department:
The benefits I can see by adding an in game investigations unit would be endless. For starters it increases the professionalism and quality of the department as a whole, and gives officers more options when on their daily patrols. On a more community wide scale it allows for higher RP standards for those who are interested, and would incentivize individuals to create more scenarios where complex investigations may be required. More importantly it gives the department an organized and professional means to handle complex investigations, similar to how TFU handles shootouts.
What potential negatives could this have for the department:
I don't see any downsides to my personal suggestion, as I have taken some extra time to ensure that it would require minimal development time, wasting the communities resources. However if anyone has any concerns feel free to bring them up! I may have addressed your concern in my own document however due to sheer length not included it on this thread, I will be more than willing to answer any questions that may arise as a result of this!
Other additions:
Hopefully this is given an equal opportunity and fair judgement as I believe it would prove to be nothing but beneficial not only for the department but community as a whole.
