Noxtton Police Department

Overview:

The Noxtton Police Department (NPD) is the law enforcement organization that protects and serves Noxtton's citizens. Formed after the disastrous Fire of 43, it was decided that the creation of a dedicated police force was in the best interest for the city.

History:

The predecessor of the NPD was the Noxtton Watch, am irregular group formed of citizens in their spare time. It proved effective during the early days of the city, but it showed it's weaknesses during the years leading to the Civil War, when a group of Confederate sympathizers burned down City Hall with the entire administration in it. After the perpetrators were arrested, it was revealed that a few members of the Watch were part of the conspiracy, the so-called Fire of 43 was a definite shame on the law of the city, and the Watch was disbanded.

Two years later, with funding from the Five Families, the Noxtton Police Department was born, with the mission to protect the citizens of the City of Night from the criminals that infest it. For decades they tried to keep their mission, but this city has a way of corrupting even the most noble of missions. The NPD had long been steeped in corruption with numerous officers, both high-and-low ranking, involved in crimes ranging from bribery to drug-trafficking and murder. The lowest point of the Department was in 1946, when the Angel Wings Murders, who took the city by storm, scaring even the most confident people, took one last life before disappearing: Detective Jack Daniels.

From the days of the Comission, in the 30s, to the War on Drugs in the 80s and 90s the NPD has fought a constant war against the criminal elements of the city, but the 9/11 attacks changed the game. With renewed funding and a new mission, the NPD started a counterattack on supposed "terrorists" and classifying organized crime as terrorism. The Special Duties Bureau (SDB), which existed more as a hit squad against the Black Panthers, was reformed to combat terrorism and organized crime, to this day it's still the most advanced unit in the NPD.

Structure

The department is administered and governed by the police commissioner, who is appointed by the mayor. Technically, the Commissioner serves a five-year term; as a practical matter, they serve at the mayor's pleasure. The commissioner in turn appoints numerous deputy commissioners. By default, the commissioner and their subordinate deputies are civilians under an oath of office and are not sworn officers. However, a commissioner who comes up from the sworn ranks retains the status and statutory powers of a police officer while serving as commissioner. This affects their police pensions, and their ability to carry a firearm without a pistol permit. Some police commissioners carry a personal firearm, but they also have a full-time security detail.

Commissioners and deputy commissioners are administrators who specialize in areas of great importance to the Department, such as counterterrorism, support services, public information, legal matters, intelligence, and information technology. However, as civilian administrators, deputy commissioners are prohibited from taking operational control of a police situation (the commissioner and the first deputy commissioner may take control of these situations, however). Within the rank structure, there are also designations, known as "grades", that connote differences in duties, experience, and pay. However, supervisory functions are generally reserved for the rank of sergeant and above.

Assets

The Noxtton City Police Department has over thirty thousand officers on its payroll at any given moment, with several thousands more in support roles. In the 1990s the department developed a CompStat system of management which has also since been established in other cities. The NPD has extensive crime scene investigation and laboratory resources, as well as units that assist with computer crime investigations. In 2005, the NPD established a "Real Time Crime Center" to assist in investigations; this is essentially a searchable database the pulls information from departmental records, including traffic tickets, court summonses, and previous complaints to reports, as well as arrest reports. The database contains files to identify individuals based on tattoos, body marks, teeth, and skin conditions, based on police record.

The Special Duties Bureau (SDB) was established in the 70s to fight against the Mafia, but was used more as a hit squad against political opponents, with it being disbanded in the 80s. But after 9/11 the SPB was brought back to life, with renewed funding and new technological and tactical training. It responds to criminal activities that normal police officers cannot, such as Serial Killers, Terrorists Threats and Organized Crime. The SDB is a specialized bureau, composed of several teams, called Squads, with different specializations to handle different assignments.

SWAT Teams:

Alpha Squad (Codename Judges): The premier elite SWAT team in the SDB, Alpha Squad, codenamed Judges is the prime example set by the "Night Watchers" in defense of their city. Being led by Lt. Richard Hawkins, a veteran of the 75th Ranger Regiment he treats his suspects with as much care as they deserve: None. While Judges can take on any mission that is required, they are specialized in high-stakes emergencies (ie. Bank Heists, Terrorrist Threats, Highjackings...)
Bravo Squad (Codename Los Bravos): The NPD's second SWAT team, while not as elite as The Judges, they still have tons of experience fighting crime in the city of the night, and their skill is second only to Richard's team. Because of the background of their team leader, Sgt. Chavez, hey are specialized in gang raids and drug-busting, when Los Bravos come knocking, all gangsters run for their lives.
Charlie Squad (Condename Night Angels): The NPD's third SWAT team, while not as recognized as the first two teams, Charlie Squad is still an elite fireteam, having experience in many stressfull situations and met nothing but success. Being led by Sgt. Vontae Mack, Charlie Squad is specialized in Hostage Situations and Lone Gunman emergencies, making sure the threats are pacified and innocent lives preserved.
Delta Squad (Codename Domino Squad): The fourth, and final, SWAT team in the NPD, Delta is mostly used when the other teams's elite training is unecessary, that is not to say that they are lax on the job, Delta Squad is a SWAT team through and through. All candidates that wish to apply to the SDB's SWAT teams, must first complete a tenure in Delta Squad, before being assignned to one of the specialized units, acting as a "screening team" for the rest of the SDB's SWAT.

Non-SWAT Teams:

Golf Squad: The NPD's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Team, Golf Squad is a specialized squad that answers to threats regarding WMDs and dirty bombs/bio weapons that could threaten the citizens of Noxtton. They deal with threats, which includes terrorism, both foreign and domestic, that have the potential for thousands of casualties in the city, and have done a great job so far.
Kilo Squad: While most Precints have K-9 units, Kilo Squad is the best of the bunch.
Oscar Squad

The SDB is equipped with the latest in bleeding edge forensic, investigation and urban combat technology, being able to identify threats and coordinate responses to them in accordande to necessity. with detectives, K-9 units, and even highly trained SWAT teams in standby all across the city.