Security Policy

Nova Sector policies

	Server Rules
	Nova Roleplay Expectations
	Antagonist Policy
	Silicon policy
	Ghost Role policy
	Corporate Regulations
	Security Policy
	Jobs
	Nova Sector lore

Return to policies page

Introduction

This document is to serve as a set of guidelines, references and suggestion on how to handle common on station situations that you will be faced with as security and the expectations and limitations of each security role, it can not reasonably go over every specific interaction or situations that may appear so you are expected to use your best judgment when engaging with them.

For better or worse, this document will lay out a change of expectations both in the game-loop and overall OOC experience of security.

What is a Peacekeeper?

Simply speaking, you keep, the peace. That means 'brigging' is not your ideal end-goal, instead, your ideal is bring back the peace in whichever manner works best for the involved parties.

How would I do this?

For reference;

An assistant steals the captains hat, so the captain slashes them with their sword, upon showing up you could:

Ask the captain if they'd like to press charges, if yes, move from there to:

• Fining the assistant, and setting up an injunction clarifying doing it again would be a much steeper charge,
• or, if both sides are still trying to instigate, just brig both for relevant charges.

Conflict Resolution

• What is conflict resolution? As an Officer, you are allowed to reasonably use your discretion to opt for the best resolution to an issue.
• While brig sentences are there, you also have the ability to work with parties related to incidents to seek the best conciliation to what happened.
• Someone breaking into the kitchen might have you working with the Chef to arrange the trespasser paying the cooks for their groceries; elsewhere, someone smashing up Cargo's autolathe could have you simply making sure the person fixes it at the Cargo team's bequest.

The Security Guiding Principles - OOC

1. You are expected to follow Corporate Regulations when feasible, though it can be skirted around if the other player is willing to play along with it, use it as a tool to generate RP not shut it down.
2. Hardcore torture, or borging require explicit OOC consent.
3. The head of your department is the “Head of Security”. If the captain finds this person problematic or demotes them, you are to remember that you work for the department, not the Head of Security.
   • Please keep this in mind during Head removals.
4. If you come across non-crew, check their special modifiers here.
5. If you are being demoted, role-play out the scenario and realize that it can happen.
   • Do not attempt a one-person coup, if you want to contest it do so through RP.
6. Crew life is valuable and you are expected, but not always required to take the actions that will put the crew in the least amount of danger when dealing with threats.
7. Being given the green light for lethals does not give you the permission to field execute someone. The fight ends when they enter crit and you should do your best to make sure they do not die in transit.
8. You can roleplay as a corrupt security member, not shut down roleplay or create a toxic environment.
   • You are not to ignore antagonistic behaviour that is a threat to the station. It’s fine to take a bribe from someone who stole some medical tools or got into a fist fight.
9. ERP is allowed as security as long as you are not needed.
10. You are not to preemptively secure items / take precautionary measures that only are done for the sake of preventing antagonistic actions.
    • This includes things such as: Securing the sec gear in checkpoints at roundstart.
11. Crimes involving department personnel should be brought to the relevant head first, in order to negotiate the best outcome for the well being of the station.
12. [[Permanent Mechanical State: you're looking for this.

Procedures

Assess - Semi-IC

When arriving on a scene, the first thing any officer should do is assess the situation, get an idea of what really happened past the initial report, and piece together a story in order to figure out what your next move should be.

• Question, interrogate, or elsewise ask witnesses about the events.
  • Find out the most likely series of events, while also making sure the physical evidence (damage to suspects, items at the scene) line up with stories, loop the detective is as soon as possible, and let them take over.
• After you have an idea of how the events played out, figure out the best course of action to minimize conflict, and return everything to working order.
  • be it forcing the suspect to pay reparations, administering ‘disciplinary action’, dragging one of them off to the brig, or elsewise, resolving the situation is a tact and resolute manner.
• Depending on the severity it can either be handled on the spot or they can be taken into the brig for processing.
• Judge the crime in question:
  • For 1xx crimes, ensure you have someone involved willing to press charges, and work with them to find the best outcome for all involved parties.
    • Contact the relevant department head (or a lawyer/HOP/Corporate Representative if they’re ‘civilians’) before engaging in any corrective behavior.
  • For crimes of 2xx or greater severity, you should work to secure the scene and de-escalate any hostilities.
    • To sentence for crimes of a maximum of 2xx severity, you must then seek someone to press charges (unless security themselves would be said person.)
      • you should inform the relevant department head (or lawyer/HOP/Corporate Representative for ‘civilians’) as soon as possible after stabilizing the situation.
  • 3xx crimes or above do not require anyone to press charges.

Arrests - Semi-IC

Arrests are when someone involved in a situation, be they the suspect or not, is detained and brought to the brig for further actions:

• Go over the situation and explain to them why they are being detained.
• Cuffs aren't required, use your best judgement.
• Depending on the severity it can either be handled on the spot or they can be taken into the brig to be processed.
• If they’re a department worker, especially if they’re within their department, contact the relevant head before making any moves; whenever possible, seek the head of security to make this contact.

Brig Procedures - OOC

When a suspect is brought to the brig, either in cuffs, or not, you should contact the warden/HOS ahead of time, and have either of them get ready to process them as they arrive.

• If they're a suspect, they should be brought to a cell or interrogation as soon as possible, with their items stored in a locker or equally secure area.

• You may keep them without charging them for up to 10 minutes, time spent detained must be subtracted from their sentence.
• If you are planning on a longer interrogation, you must do so while their timer is running and you can not keep them longer than their sentence unless you get IC consent.

If the crimes total to more than 15 minutes, they are to be sent into the prison, if it’s less than that they are to be placed into an available holding cell and their personal belongings in its respective locker, non-violent suspects should be uncuffed.

•  Remember, all items that can not be classified as contraband or evidence are to be returned to the person upon release.

All prisoners and detainees are entitled to the communication devices they have on arrest, as long as they aren't abused, or contraband.

NOTE: While the Warden is the main person in charge of the brig and the prisoners that does not mean that they are the only person who process arrested individuals, make sure to help them out if tasks are piling up on them.

Prison Procedures - OOC

In the case of a sentence that is longer than 10 minutes a prisoner will be processed for the prison, through the following steps:

• Escorting the prisoner to the prison lockers and removing from them all items.
  • Contraband and evidence will go to their respective lockers, personal items to the personal locker of the prisoner, with the exception of items of significant religious or personal importance.  
    • Do not remove their clothes immediately; unless it'd be dangerous to do so.
• Use the locker interface to be given a prison ID card and jumpsuit for the prisoner.
• Allow them to change either in a changing room or a cell room, put their clothes in their prisoner locker.
• Upon release make sure that their items are returned to them.

If you are handling a violent martial artist and they have assaulted security staff during their incarceration you may ask the Head of Security or Captain for permission to pacify them via surgery.

Executions - OOC

Before an execution can be carried out it must be approved by the Captain and Head of Security, and the context permits it.

With the exceptions of terminating Hostile Non-Typical Lifeform, or immediate risk to life without doing so, all executions should follow the standard procedure,

Note: Declaring someone as Do Not Revive is considered posthumous authorization of an execution and requires the same authorization as an execution.

Hostage Situations - Semi-IC

When dealing with a situation that involves hostages you are expected to try and protect the hostages when capable, and reasonable. For reference:

• If it's a lone hostage, with a lone gunman, who's in a non-critical area it may be better to work with them until the hostage can be secured.
• If it's a ship of armed, hostile pirates, no one could expect you to try and reason with something that is likely to become a bigger risk the moment the demands are met, and thus, trying to negotiate would be a dead-end.

Implant Searches - OOC

Security may find itself in situations in which they suspect an individual of having implants, which may require an implant search, which can be done in either the brig infirmary or the medbay by a doctor depending on availability and risk of escape.

Currently, security has metaknowledge on the following implant types:

• Deadman switches, such as micro and macro bomb implants
• Micro EMP devices
• Micro Stealth Devices
• Micro cuff busting devices
• Contractor uplink implant
• Augments of all varieties

Riot Control - Semi-IC

• For an event to be considered a riot, 3 or more individuals must be disturbing the peace through violence, disorder or general brigading.
• Once a riot situation has been reported, it is strongly advised that security regroups in the brig to ascertain the situation, determine the needed gear and make a plan of action.
• After the gear has been given out and the course of action decided, personnel are expected to bring order to chaos as first and foremost.
• Your goals should always be to break apart those crowds and non lethally detain individuals whenever possible so that the numbers may be thinned out slowly. Remember, if you feel like you risk being overwhelmed it is better to retreat and regroup than risk it!
• When the crowds have been dispersed and the instigators detained, it is expected to return riot equipment to the armory and move towards operating as usual.

Labour camp - OOC

The Labour Camp, sometimes referred to as Gulag, is an alternative punishment method that may allow for detainees to be released earlier through work. For a prisoner to be eligible for the labor camp they must be:

• Willing, a prisoner has to either request, or agree to being moved there,

• Physically fit, a prisoner that is blind, paraplegic, too injured or suffers from any disability that would make mining too dangerous or hard can not be made to do labor.
  • Consult a doctor if uncertain.
• Injected with a tracking implant or supervised by a member of security.

Once those 3 conditions are met, the one sentencing them must convert their time into points via the labor camp console at a conversion rate of 1 minute for 100 points, with a minimum of 5 minutes.

Prisoners are to be sent down to the camp via the provided teleporter next to the console.

Labour Camp people should be checked on.

Use of Force - OOC

As a member of security you have access to strong non-lethal gear for taking down foes and troublemakers alike, but there are times when using them would simply be ineffective and you have to resort to lethals.

The situations when lethal force is allowed can be:
Code amber or above: Security may use lethals in situations that warrant a code amber or higher, which include but are not limited to: mutinies, hostile boarding parties, unknown biological entities. Note: The code does not have to mechanically be raised to amber alert or higher as the chain of command may be too damaged or otherwise occupied to do so.
Non-Lethal Weapons are ineffective: Hostile that can not be non-lethally detained such as hulks, mechs or people who are constantly using drugs or other tools for immunity to stamina damage or knockdown may be engaged with lethal weapons but remember, once incapacitated they are to be cuffed and stabilised, not field executed.
Armed and dangerous: If a suspect is in possession of weapons, lethal or non-lethal, and there is reasonable suspicion to believe that they will be used against security, or crew, lethal force is permitted. This also valid for people who're beating on officers, doubly so if using drugs or otherwise stimulants.
Severe Personal Risk: There are situations when approaching a hostile for non-lethal takedowns would be too dangerous for officers meaning that lethal force is the only option. Some of those situations may be: people in hostile environments (ex: space, an ongoing fire), people infected with deadly disease, people confirmed to be in possession of explosives or similar instruments. Evaluate the risk based on the situation at hand and remember, if you are in doubt it’s better to be less severe than needed than more.
Multiple Hostiles: It can be extremely difficult to detain multiple hostiles, and if it comes too, you may use lethals to force them to back off. Generally it is better to retreat and regroup than stand your ground.
Remember, these are all guidelines and not a substitute for context and decision making, you may find yourself in situations that are not listed here but require lethal force or the opposite, use your best judgment; consider the following table as a reasonable progression for addressing most situations where you seek to stop somebody, compel them, or defend yourself.

Security Roles and Expectations - Semi-IC

Before we go into the roles themselves we should first mention the security hierarchy at large, which is rather simple:

• Captain
• Head of Security
• Warden
• Detectives* ^{See their respective policy for further details}
• Security Officers
• Correction Officers

Head of Security

• Keep tabs on your officers, make sure Corporate Regulations is upheld, make sure the peace is kept.
• Inform the Captain and Command of current security issues so that the station may raise or lower to the appropriate level.
• Keep in contact and with an open line of communication with other heads of staff, specifically, with regards to any developing situations in regards to their departments.
• Be on stand-by for if you’re needed as a negotiator(between departments) for developing situations!

Warden

• Protect the brig and armory from intruders.
• Make sure that brigging procedure is being followed.
• Make sure that wanted people have charges set to them, double-check any timing modifications to sentences..
• Manage both the equipment of officers, and the armory itself!
• Store and maintain all contraband that is brought in.
• Make sure that released detainees are given their items back and that evidence that is no longer needed is returned to the owners or disposed of.
• Keep an eye on the prisoners.
• You may carry a Long Gun/Primary weapon only while inside the brig regardless of alert level, you are still encouraged to use non-lethal tools.

Peacekeeper

• Keep the peace under the guidance of the HoS, use Corporate Regulations to resolve peace-disrupting behavior when brought to you or severe enough to warrant it.
• Patrol the station to make sure that the crew is not at risk.
• Handle cases as you are instructed to by your superiors.
• Detain criminals, collect fines, and administer ‘corrective behavior.’
• De-escalate situations to the best of your ability
• Maintain the safety, comfort, and elsewise, productivity of departments to the best of your abilities.

Detective

• Regardless of what alternative title you choose to use you are still a member of security and subordinate to the Head of Security
• Lead investigations of crime scenes and suspects
• Interrogate witnesses and suspects
• Provide officers with relevant information on cases
• Submit and sort evidence

Important: As a detective you will always have authority over an officer when it comes to how a crime scene or interrogation should be handled, and officers should always defer to you for information first. Outside of information gathering you still do not have any authority over officers when it comes to dispatching and giving them orders and you still do not handle arrests personally outside of cases of low man power or high alert.

Corrections Officer

• Keep the prisoners in line, make sure they are not being a harm to others or themselves.
• Fulfill reasonable requests or exchanges the prisoners may have for items, but remember that you are not under any obligation to accept them.
• Report any incidents, destruction, and intrusions within perma to the Warden or HoS.

Being a Corrections Officer isn't a license to start beating prisoners and make their life hell or an obligation to act as the prison butler. Remember, even though you are a member of security you are not an officer so unless you are in extraordinary circumstances, such as low security numbers or all hands on deck situations, you do not handle arrests and you should only be leaving the brig with approval from the Warden.

Security Adjacent Jobs

Some jobs will find themselves interacting with security so they will be covered here as “security adjacent jobs”, the main focus being on how they interact with the department. Remember, the listed roles here are placed in their own separate category and outside of the security hierarchy because they are not members of security, regardless of their access to the brig or security comms.

Blueshield

Important: This section only covers the Blueshield in relation to security, for a complete blueshield policy consult with Command Policy

The Blueshield is a prestigious role, one that is held with high regard. They are personally trained agents of central command, but what they are not, is part of security. Although they bear a mindshield, have brig access, gear and sec communications, they are in no way part of the station’s security team. They should not act as though they are part of security, nor should security act as though the Blueshield is an asset for security to use. Their one and only goal is to keep the station’s most valuable assets safe.

Your interactions as sec will be limited with the Blueshield, but from time to time you may run into them for a few specific scenarios. When a Blueshield happens to detain an individual who has threatened their charge, they will more than likely hand off the arrest into sec hands. Their job isn’t to process criminals, only to make sure criminals stay away from command. In addition, they will become involved in any issues that involve a member of command staff, be it for an arrest, or in recovery of a downed or killed command member.

Departmental Guards

Departmental Guards are a relatively new addition to each department that act as an independent guard from security, with the main goal of keeping their assigned area and it’s employees safe. They are not members of security and they do not answer to the Head of Security, they are subordinate to the department and its head.

As mentioned above, they answer directly to the head of their respective department, taking orders from and deferring to their judgment when appropriate. That said, it is important to remember that outside of the science and engineering guard, you are not hired by not nanotrasen in general, else-wise you are not required to follow illegal instructions unless your character would, at the end of the day you are not their minion.

Your duties as a guard are as follows:

• Remove or detain trespassers and disruptive individuals from the department.
• Report those mentioned above to security or hand them in if you detained them.
• Ensure that the members of the department are safe and in good health.
• Respond to calls from your respective head or department members.
• Use your limited knowledge to aid the department in case of emergency (you are not there to replace any of them as you lack that level of skill).
• Act in stead of your department to press charges against people threatening the productivity or safety of said department.

While you may not be a doctor, a scientist, etc… you can still have basic knowledge on how to operate within that department, such as orderlies giving first aid, science guards pushing buttons on the research console, so on and so forth; but keep in mind that your main duty is protecting!

Important Reminders:

• You are given a baton, cuffs and a holding cell for troublemakers caught within your department, you are not intended to give chase outside of it and as of writing this your special baton is made to optimally function within your assigned department.
• You are given a gun permit for a good reason, because you are capable, and encouraged to arm yourself; just as the crew and security can, however, you should operate under a concept of concealment, after-all, it’s not a good show for dep-guards to be flexing their rifles on green.

Alert Levels - OOC

Green Alert

All clear - No crimes / Active situations

• Side-arms anything that can fit on your belt, without modification are permitted for officers to carry within their belt. While long-arms (anything else) isn't.
• Security may not have 'combat implants' (see here) without direct permission of the RD, if one's not available, this becomes an IC issue.
• Security must have explicit permission from the relevant head before entering the department for anything relating to their duties, outside of immediate risk-of-life.
• You can take breaks at will, as long as others are informed.
• Crew may not be searched unless they are caught engaging in crime or there is Probable Cause*
• The Warden / HOS are permitted anything in their locker.
• Security can request Mechs, excluding the Sierra Ivanov and Phazon, but not use them.

_{*Evidence, facts and circumstances which would lead a cautious and prudent person to believe a crime has been, is being or is about to be committed.}

Blue Alert

Suspicious activity such as break ins or theft that may constitute a 2xx or lower.

• Long guns/primaries[*] loaded with non-lethal ammunition, and energy guns capable of dual-mode (lethal, non-lethal) firemodes may be deployed.
• Security may search people with approval from their relevant department head, or elsewise, the Captain.
• You can take a break or continue it, but you are expected to be able to respond if called upon.

_{* SMART guns, carwo rifles(LMGS DO NOT COUNT), shotguns with non-lethal/less than lethal shells, etc…}

Amber Alert

Active 3xx crimes, or situations, elsewise: least 1 confirmed active hostile with no recorded bombings, ongoing grand sabotage or at least one confirmed grand theft.

• Security personnel are allowed full access to lethals, and armory equipment.
• Mechs can now be used.

• The HoS or Warden may distribute additional gear as needed.
• Security is authorized to do random searches and grid searches to places outside of a department, without informing anyone.
  • However, when entering a department, if you are able to do so and are not currently engaged in an active situation, please inform the department head of your entry.
• You are expected to drop all personal activity and return to active duty.

Red Alert

4xx or above crimes have been committed, and the perpetrator is not currently in custody.

• Crew must submit to any search requested by a security member.
• Security can enter, passthrough, or raid departments at will, without informing anyone.
• Security may requisition Savannah Ivanovs, or Phazons.
• Crew are fully-permitted to both arm themselves and defend their departments.

Delta Alert

The destruction of the station is imminent and the threat must be stopped at all costs.

• Use of martial law is allowed, crew must follow Command and Security orders at the threat of immediate execution. Insubordination during a Delta Class Emergency should be met swiftly, to prevent further loss of life.

Gamma Alert

May God save the station, for only They alone can.

Contraband

(this is here for the redirect from contraband policy)

but barring picking it up mid-fight, security shouldn't be using contraband personally, unless the alert is DELTA.

Nova Sector policies

Server Rules • Nova Roleplay Expectations • Antagonist Policy • Silicon policy • Ghost Role policy • Corporate Regulations • Security Policy

---

Return to policies page