Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space states?

[Lexx Shrapnel]

The title is silly because there was no room. I am talking about interstellar states.

Would a government that has many planets to govern outsource planet hopping, space route raiding criminals to be the responsibility of the military? Would there be lightly armored quasi Police that does that stuff?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Up to the author.

 

[Melakon]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Would a government that has many planets to govern outsource planet hopping, space route raiding criminals to be the responsibility of the military? Would there be lightly armored quasi Police that does that stuff?

What CorporalCaptain said.

There are too many variables for a single all-encompassing answer. Is this government a sovereignty, dictatorship, star alliance? Are they war mongers or pacifists?

Stupid server went into stupid busy mode losing my original stupid post.

 

[Sci]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Assuming it's a democratic polity, I think the most probable scenario is that law enforcement on member planets would mostly be left to local planetary police forces, but that interplanetary or interstellar law enforcement (within the democratic polity's interstellar borders) would fall under the jurisdiction of a U.S. Coast Guard-like space force.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Ask Federation Commissioner Frank Drebin.

 

[HIjol]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Assuming it's a democratic polity, I think the most probable scenario is that law enforcement on member planets would mostly be left to local planetary police forces, but that interplanetary or interstellar law enforcement (within the democratic polity's interstellar borders) would fall under the jurisdiction of a U.S. Coast Guard-like space force.

Some version of this, I think, though I imagine if the Local jurisdiction had something like a NASA or ESA, there would be a component of training for space (the Federation/Star Fleet!) or an actual participation of Astro-gendarmes.

Plus, Groot

 

[Gaith]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

All I can say is, don't switch the blade on the guy in shades, oh no.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

I have to imagine that there'd be a new organization whose job it is to do that kind of thing.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

In Trek's time, there is the Federation Security Agency (the agent in ST III who arrests McCoy is an example), which seems to fulfill the function of an interstellar police/investigative force. Kind of like the UFP's version of U.S. marshals.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

In The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Klaatu characterized himself as an interplanetary policeman.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

^ So when he arrests somebody, he probably says...

(puts on sunglasses)

..."You're nikto".

YEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

 

[DarthTom]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

In terms of Trek, I always thought the way Earth was setup was a iditioc and unreleastic concept. The way Trek presents the future of the, "police," on Earth is it's a hybrid of a military dictatorship.

However, on DS9 and the episode where Ezyri visits home in, "New Sydney," was a far more realistic portrayal of how the police, corruption etc would be in the future.

 

[T'Girl]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

In Trek's time, there is the Federation Security Agency (the agent in ST III who arrests McCoy

I've always seen him more as a reat-a-cop, one who's posted in the lobby of the Federation office building up the street from the bar. They sent him down to walk McCoy out of the bar, then Starfleet Security showed up and took McCoy off his hands.

Kind of like the UFP's version of U.S. marshals.

The marshals, or something like Interpol.

 

[Lexx Shrapnel]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

In terms of Trek, I always thought the way Earth was setup was a iditioc and unreleastic concept. The way Trek presents the future of the, "police," on Earth is it's a hybrid of a military dictatorship.

Where did they show up?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

We have state troopers, we have FBI. It's possible to imagine a police force that is dedicated to policing just the interstellar stuff while local police are still in charge of planetary enforcement. It's also possible to imagine a specialized police force of universal jurisdiction that investigates special crimes. Frankly, given the size of space, the special investigation route is probably the more practical one anyway. I don't think routine patrols are going to be very helpful.

On the other hand, that assumes some kind of self-contained polity or contiguous territory. If it's something more scattered, the best analogy is the British Empire (the one Star Trek went with). Under those circumstances, having the navy enforce the rules makes sense. Not only are the crimes more international (i.e., piracy), but you also might have foreign powers in the area and you have to prepare for hostile military actions.

 

[DarthTom]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Where did they show up?

The best example is on DS9 when effectively the civilian population is forced into Marshall law because of the changeling threat.

On the other hand, that assumes some kind of self-contained polity or contiguous territory. If it's something more scattered, the best analogy is the British Empire (the one Star Trek went with). Under those circumstances, having the navy enforce the rules makes sense. Not only are the crimes more international (i.e., piracy), but you also might have foreign powers in the area and you have to prepare for hostile military actions.

Star Trek though - at least TNG Star Trek - that somehow virtually all serious crime has been eradicated; at least on Earth. That seems unlikely. 10,000 years of recorded human history and we still have thieves, rapists and murderers. It may be harder to get away with crime in the future because of technology but it's doubtful that it will be eliminated all together as is implied. Which I'd think would require some type of local police force - not simply a military one on a planetary scale.

 

[SPCTRE]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

<in before the inevitable debate about Starfleet's status as a military organization>

 

[Owain Taggart]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

We have state troopers, we have FBI. It's possible to imagine a police force that is dedicated to policing just the interstellar stuff while local police are still in charge of planetary enforcement. It's also possible to imagine a specialized police force of universal jurisdiction that investigates special crimes. Frankly, given the size of space, the special investigation route is probably the more practical one anyway. I don't think routine patrols are going to be very helpful.

Yeah, that's the way I was thinking. You'd have your local planetary forces, perhaps with state or provincial jurisdictions. Then you'd have your in-system forces keeping the peace between planetary governments and generally keeping an eye out for crime happening. You'd also have your interstellar forces for anything further out.

The way I'm thinking too, is that as each type of force is escalating up the chain, so naturally , just like a SWAT team is more equipped compared to a regular force, the ones higher up the chain would be equipped to deal with bigger situations anyway, and they're going to be more contextual to what types of things they need to deal with.

In terms of Starfleet, I think that they just kind of fell into the role based on a need-for basis and it developed from there.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

The best example is on DS9 when effectively the civilian population is forced into Marshall law because of the changeling threat.

I wish they'd gotten the chance to actually use the bit where local Earth authorities are 'federalized' to deal with the threat. The writers put a scene like that in, but it got cut for time. I don't think they ever filmed it.

 

[Shawnster]

Re: Any interesting concepts, what the Police looks like in space sta

Galaxy Rangers