Police in New Deseret

Overview

Throughout nearby star systems Desereti police are known for their professionalism and dependability. Visitors to the planet will quickly notice Desereti police officers on patrol, or "walking the beat". While some new arrivals are hesitant to approach the police officers most learn over time that although the police cannot solve every problem it is a rare occasion when they do not know who will be able to help. Modern Deseretis are proud of their law enforcement's legacy but few understand the forces at play in its creation or the struggles it faces now to maintain that reputation.

History

Mission

The mission of Desereti police is to promote public safety and crime prevention through education and enforcement; to maintain public order while preserving the legal rights of all individuals; to provide efficient and courteous service; and to reduce the impact of crime.

Power restrictions

The Desereti Constitution enumerates several restrictions that police as individuals and police as organizations are bound by. Some of these include the following:

1. Police in Deseret are prohibited from holding criminal suspects for more than a reasonable amount of time (usually 24–48 hours) before arraignment.
2. Prohibited from using statements, whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way, unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure their Constitutional right against self-incrimination
3. Prohibited from using torture, abuse or physical threats to extract confessions,
4. Prohibited from using excessive force to effect an arrest,
5. Prohibited from searching suspects' bodies or their homes without a warrant obtained upon a showing of probable cause.
6. Prohibited from purchasing military grade gear or military surplus of any kind. The Constitution specifically warns against gear that has been repackaged or re-branded to appear not military while retaining all of the capabilities thereof and directs local, provincial, and federal governments to ensure such purchases do not occur.
7. Prohibited from cross training with any organization with any organization or individuals who have been found guilty of civil and human rights violations. Local, provincial, and federal governments are each authorized to label such groups and individuals.
8. Police are forbidden from ever hiding their badge number.
9. Prohibited from sexual or otherwise intimate relations with any individual in custody regardless of consent given. Individuals are considered by law to be incapable of giving consent while in custody of any kind.
10. Prohibited from engaging in any kind of political speech while in uniform or identifying as police that does not pertain to such topics that are relevant to law enforcement. Police officers still retain full rights to political speech as long as they do so as a civilian.

Conduct, accountability and public confidence

Education

All police officers on Deseret are required to have a Bachelor's Degree in a field related to law enforcement. These fields range from Criminal Justice, Sociology, Constitutional Law and beyond. Due to the competitive nature of the hiring process some applicants choose to earn a Master's Degree as well before submitting their application.

Once accepted to a police department officers must complete 150 hours of professional development (PD) every 5 years to keep their jobs. Although these professional development hours can be on any number of topics governments at the federal, provincial, and local levels are allowed to weight certain training to incentivize their use.

For example: Officer Mesfin has in his first 4 years managed to complete 100 hours of PD. In his 5th year he completed only 35 hours of PD leaving him at 135 hours or 15 hours short of his requirement. However his PD during the 5th year was on the Desereti Bill of Rights, a federal priority now that immigrants have started reaching Deseret, and are weighted as Tier 5 PD. His 35 hours of PD are multiplied by 1.5 equaling 52.5 which is then added to his previous 100 hours giving him a total of 152.5 hours of PD, or, enough to keep his job.

In addition to their required 150 hours of PD Desereti police officers are able to take an additional 50 hours of PD each year from a list of certified topics. Doing so is required to move up a tier on the standard pay scale that determines the pay of all police officers. Because of this many choose to continue their education, earning Doctorate's in degrees relating to their field.

In recent years as Deseret has seen an heavy surge in immigrants from Old Earth or Brahmaputra Prime it has had difficulty hiring enough officers to provide adequate coverage and security. Many point to the steep educational requirements as a barrier to immigrants who would otherwise join and deprive the force of the cultural knowledge to safely perform their duties. Advocates for police education reform warn that unless quick action is taken Desereti police departments will become racially distinct from the populace they are sworn to protect, a cause for many abuses in Old Earth's history.

Personnel and organization

Equipment

Strategies

Controversies and Dilemmas

I'm publishing this article in an unfinished state because I want feedback. I'm hoping to get all the parts done this week but to continue to update as I learn more.