105
votes
How to have good public opinion of police in a dystopian dictatorship with low or no crime?
I can't exactly show them protecting the ordinary citizens from muggers, wiping out organised crime, solving horrific murders, ridding the town of drug-dealers, rescuing children from child-porn gangs,...
- 14.2k
86
votes
What would be the pros and cons of a merged military and police?
Police and Military should never be merged. They have different missions and are set up completely differently.
If you look at countries in conflict, and those that are stable today, you see a ...
- 22.9k
78
votes
Practical reasons to have both a large police force and bounty hunting network?
Bounty hunters only get paid on results. If they don't succeed, they make nothing and cost the government nothing as where police get paid on success or failure.
Basically bounty hunters are police ...
- 47.8k
62
votes
How to have good public opinion of police in a dystopian dictatorship with low or no crime?
The police are there to protect and serve. Protect from criminals, but also from other hazards and problems.
Little Timmy is missing? The distraught mom tells the police officer who is walking the ...
- 120k
56
votes
Could 1970s police cars be usable in the modern era?
Yes. But...
Beware the anti knock additive in petrol.
Leaded gasoline was removed from most of the world between the 1970s and today. (It caused horrible health, developmental, and possibly even ...
- 44.4k
53
votes
What would be the pros and cons of a merged military and police?
There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend ...
- 133k
37
votes
How realistic is it to have building blueprints?
Yes. Building Plans are generally available for buildings back to the early 1900's.
I am an architect and we regularly work on extensions and renovations to commercial, institutional and residential ...
- 22.9k
36
votes
Practical reasons to have both a large police force and bounty hunting network?
Unregulated Space(s)
Your police force has a heavy presence on-planet, or in dense population centres, but not outside of that - the void between colonies or the wilds of the sparser planets do not ...
- 15.5k
36
votes
Flashbang grenade that leaves a (radioactive) trace on people?
A similar trick was used by the KGB to track possible defectors: they would spread radioactive dust on their door mat, and would simply scan with a Geiger counter all the vehicles, looking for the one ...
- 301k
33
votes
Accepted
How would a city police department handle a super-hero joining as an officer?
Being a police officer is about a lot more than restraining offenders. Good police officers in modern times are taught negotiation, assertiveness, conflict resolution, and a strong understanding of ...
- 54.2k
24
votes
Practical reasons to have both a large police force and bounty hunting network?
Note: for the most part peace keepers (Hegemony police) are a
benevolent force that plays it by the books.
You actually answered your own question. The setup you're describing would actually be a ...
- 16.9k
24
votes
How realistic is it to have building blueprints?
1: yes these databases do exist, but when I went to check on one all they had available were hardcopies, digital might be available but not on any PC with internet you have to physically go there. ...
- 45.7k
23
votes
What would be the pros and cons of a merged military and police?
TL;DR: Using military instead of police will result is distrust, disobedience and violence from civilian population.
My points are below; also see Flox's answers for excellent points, and quote ...
- 10.7k
21
votes
How to have good public opinion of police in a dystopian dictatorship with low or no crime?
Advertise them
It's as simple as that. If most of people's contact with the police is irrelevant to actual police job, their opinion will be based on irrelevant factors. So, dress your officers in ...
- 421
21
votes
Could 1970s police cars be usable in the modern era?
Maybe, depending on crime
The fixation with muscle cars seems to indicate an American setting. Depending on where in the USA they are to be used, the vehicles may or may not be appropriate for ...
- 142k
19
votes
What would be the pros and cons of a merged military and police?
In a high fantasy setting, you need no justification. High fantasy typically takes its cue from European history. Before Robert Peel in the 1800s, there was no concept in any European country that ...
- 21.3k
18
votes
Practical reasons to have both a large police force and bounty hunting network?
Another possible concept would be that police and bounty hunters are pursuing different kinds of fugitives, e.g. police searches for persons who are not yet convicted, while bounty hunters search for ...
- 2,618
18
votes
How realistic is it to have building blueprints?
I work for a Fire Service in the United Kingdom, we are required by law to inspect all local structures that could pose a risk if an incident were to occur there. This is usually any industrial ...
- 281
17
votes
How to have good public opinion of police in a dystopian dictatorship with low or no crime?
Police are also fire and rescue.
There is already a lot of overlap between these functions as is evidenced by this NYPD fire truck. In your society the same group of people serve all these functions....
- 306k
16
votes
Could 1970s police cars be usable in the modern era?
Getting there
You know, in 90% of the cases the police uses the car to get to a place where it is needed. You can do that by horse, bicycle or hire an Uber. A 70s car would do the job, certainly.
...
- 3,341
16
votes
Flashbang grenade that leaves a (radioactive) trace on people?
How about something like SmartWater?
It's a well established technology that uses polymer chains or similar information encodable chemistry (a lot of the technology seems to be a trade secret) that ...
- 411
15
votes
Citywide Abandonment of Law Enforcement at World's End?
As official enforcement fades or fails, unofficial enforcement rises. It starts as vigilantes. And then some local charismatic leader gets a few blocks organised. Maybe it's only guys walking in a ...
- 9,601
14
votes
Could organised crime gangs have ever usurped government in the United States of America?
What is the difference between a protection racket and a tax office? The tax office answers to officials who have been elected/selected with the consent of the governed and who spend the funds for the ...
- 120k
14
votes
Accepted
Could 1970s police cars be usable in the modern era?
That's really not a problem
Keep in mind, for lack of full-size sedans, many police agencies are already going to full-size, truck-chassis SUVs, which are heavier than 1970s sedans. And handle worse ...
14
votes
Flashbang grenade that leaves a (radioactive) trace on people?
I have two ideas. One is high-tech, and the other is low-tech.
1 Spray the protestors with a non-lethal substance that only shows up under blacklight.
Basically, the grenade would contain a certain ...
- 2,629
13
votes
Practical reasons to have both a large police force and bounty hunting network?
High bureaucracy.
Police can be numerous, but they are bound by countless rules and regulations. Particularly, when a fugitive runs away across district lines, it takes a long time to get other ...
- 42.3k
13
votes
Could 1970s police cars be usable in the modern era?
I drive a 1973 car (in the real world) and its now 47 years old. Yes its driveable, but not as a daily commuter car.
Downsides:
Starting from cold - she's a bit slow to get moving in the mornings ...
- 1,957
12
votes
How to have good public opinion of police in a dystopian dictatorship with low or no crime?
A image is worth a thousand words
So, we start with the uniforms, your police officers should be elegant and refined, their uniforms may not be the most practical, but it sure will be the most elegant....
- 6,047
12
votes
Flashbang grenade that leaves a (radioactive) trace on people?
Taggants are already used or are proposed to be used in explosives. The idea is to leave behind traceable tags so the origin of the explosive can be traced. Some of these are are little microscopic ...
- 6,922
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible