Security question

[Toban Kal]

I just wondered. Where do Security teams go when they're on duty but they aren't running down a corridor to stop some threat?
They have to be called from somewhere, but I just wonder where. Do they have offices on each deck or just sit in their quarters or what?

 

[Mr Silver]

I'd imagine they operate from the Armoury and while on duty if theres not security threat they go where they are needed

 

[Pauln6]

They probably conduct training exercises and drills, teach unarmed combat and marksmanship to other crew, guard certain key areas at all times, conduct standard patrols of the ship and notify maintenance crews of anything that looks like it needs attention, keep inventry and maintain hand phasers and explosives. They will also be assigned to damage control teams during emergencies.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They're eating donuts and drinking coffee.

 

[Praxius]

They probably conduct training exercises and drills, teach unarmed combat and marksmanship to other crew, guard certain key areas at all times, conduct standard patrols of the ship and notify maintenance crews of anything that looks like it needs attention, keep inventry and maintain hand phasers and explosives. They will also be assigned to damage control teams during emergencies.

Pretty much this is what I believe.... I'd suspect most of the time when they're not patrolling or guarding certain areas, they're either conducting training exercises to keep in top condition or in meetings to go over new security procedures and requirements.

Or they could just be sitting around with a coffee and doughnut while talking about last nights game.

 

[Mary Ann]

The training exercises and drills sound logical to me, too.

I've often wondered what transporter operators do with most of their time. Routine maintenance is necessary, of course, but it must become awfully boring during what could be long spells between beaming people and supplies on and off the ship.

 

[FormerLurker]

They probably conduct training exercises and drills, teach unarmed combat and marksmanship to other crew, guard certain key areas at all times, conduct standard patrols of the ship and notify maintenance crews of anything that looks like it needs attention, keep inventry and maintain hand phasers and explosives. They will also be assigned to damage control teams during emergencies.

This, pretty much. Security does not in all circumstances mean law-enforcement and combat.

 

[Pauln6]

The training exercises and drills sound logical to me, too.

I've often wondered what transporter operators do with most of their time. Routine maintenance is necessary, of course, but it must become awfully boring during what could be long spells between beaming people and supplies on and off the ship.

By the time of TMP there are certainly multiple transporters on the ships (including a security transporter, two or three cargo transporters, emergency trasporters, and a transporter in the engineering section). In ordinary circumstances, not more than two transporter operators would need to be on duty (one in each section of the ship) so they would presumably run diagnostic tests in each of the transporter rooms until they're needed. Transporter operators are often engineering chief petty officers or officers like Kyle so they might be quite senior and might have other engineering details while on shift and only be called to a transporter room when needed (like firemen). In an emergency or if a landing party is off world then probably at least two transporters would be manned at all times and all transporters would be manned during a general quarters alert.

 

[Mr Darcy]

Given how inept and utterly useless the majority of Starfleet security appears to be, I fear that training exercises and drills are not their main priorities.

 

[scotpens]

Considering the high Redshirt mortality rate in Trek TOS, I assume Security personnel spend a lot of time updating their wills and trusts. And praying to sweet boogalooing Jesus that they don't get assigned to the next landing party.

 

[Robert DeSoto]

I just wondered. Where do Security teams go when they're on duty but they aren't running down a corridor to stop some threat?
They have to be called from somewhere, but I just wonder where. Do they have offices on each deck or just sit in their quarters or what?

The bigger question is where do the security teams go when the ship is boarded and a hostile force takes control of the bridge. It's like the ship's entire security force just surrenders when the bridge crew isn't telling them to fight back.

 

[Mr Silver]

I just wondered. Where do Security teams go when they're on duty but they aren't running down a corridor to stop some threat?
They have to be called from somewhere, but I just wonder where. Do they have offices on each deck or just sit in their quarters or what?

The bigger question is where do the security teams go when the ship is boarded and a hostile force takes control of the bridge. It's like the ship's entire security force just surrenders when the bridge crew isn't telling them to fight back.

To be fair, it was usually Voyager that got boarded the most and they had a very small crew, with an even smaller Security Detachment, IIRC in a Season 1 Episode, Janeway gets Tuvok to train a detachment

As for the Ent-D, I don't think anyone would dare board that ship when its fully crewed and in nominal operating condition!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Kirk's Enterprise has been taken over by his first officer, a bunch of 1990s supermen, an android, mail order brides, children, hippies, an angsty teenager, the Kelvans, a computer, a glowy thing, Scalosians and one of Kirk's exgirlfriends. Various officers have also been kidnapped right off the ship.

Helluva job Security Team!!!!!!

 

[The Wormhole]

IIRC in a Season 1 Episode, Janeway gets Tuvok to train a detachment

Not exactly. The episode Learning Curve has Tuvok providing Starfleet training to Maquis crew members who are having difficulty adjusting to life on a Starship.

As for the Ent-D, I don't think anyone would dare board that ship when its fully crewed and in nominal operating condition!

The DS9 episode Bar Association has Odo listing off all the security violations which occured on board the Enterprise D under Worf's watch.

Of particular embarassment, Rascals in which the Enterprise is taken over by Ferengi and re-taken by children. Yeah, those children are grown-ups reverted to childhood, one of which being the captain, but still that doesn't speak volumes about security's skill.

 

[T'Girl]

A character I invented once was a TOS era security petty officer. Trained at a service academy as a law enforcement and forensic expert. Part of the time she was "loaned out" to the ship's science labs.

Some of the security guards would be cross-trained as emergency medics, they would be on-call with sickbay.

Security works as damage control teams, so while they are patrolling the ship (which we've seen), they're not just looking around in a security or law enforcement capacity, but also endlessly inspecting the ship for any level of damage or for malfunctions.

One of the definitions for "Yeoman" is bodyguard, Janice Rand might be assigned as the Captain's yeoman out of security partly in that capacity. Kirk was pissed off when Rand was assigned as his yeoman not because he felt he didn't need a administrative assistant (he really did), but because he was offended by the idea of needing a bodyguard.

 

[Timo]

Kirk's Enterprise has been taken over by his first officer

In which case Security would have sided with him, and did.

a bunch of 1990s supermen

Who probably outnumbered the Security force even if one doesn't count them having the drop on the Enterprise folks, superior prowess in hand-to-hand, plus inside help from McGivers.

an android

In an episode where the redshirts put up a valiant fight at every step.

mail order brides

Not exactly. Not even their pimp ever "took over".

children

Now their pimp did take over. But that's par for the course for superhuman creatures.

hippies

At most, they effected an escape...

an angsty teenager, the Kelvans, a computer, a glowy thing, Scalosians and one of Kirk's exgirlfriends.

You forgot at least the invincible wrecked space probe, and one of Kirk's ex-boyfriends. Both of whom were immune to physical resistance.

Yeah, those children are grown-ups reverted to childhood, one of which being the captain, but still that doesn't speak volumes about security's skill.

But Security was ordered to stand down by Riker. We don't know if boarding was successfully repelled in other parts of the ship before Riker locked the computer and surrendered.

I do like the idea that Security would be a scaleable force, with just a small core group dedicating 100% of their time to security duties and the rest being e.g. engineers. That would jibe with the massive reassigning we hear of in "Chain of Command", as well as with all those TOS cases where Security is mobilized but explicitly comprises less than a dozen people ("Devil in the Dark" is a good example). The "security vs. deputy" issue could also affect the prowess of the force: we'd see one of 'em highly trained combat specialists in, say, "Doomsday Machine" where Decker and his escort beat the crap out of each other before the former gains the upper hand, and one of 'em deputies in, say, "Mudd's Women" where he stands guard without making an effort to eavesdrop on the activities of the perps in his custody.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Nerys Myk]

All I'm saying is passengers should be watched very closely.

 

[Timo]

...And usually were. Charlie Evans, Khan, Nomad or Dr. Severin breaking out of their well-monitored semi-captivity were events opposed by Security, but in vain because the enemy had superior strength. Norman and M-5 weren't exactly passengers, nor was Spock. Kelvans, Scalosians and Janice Lester "intruded" after already gaining control by other means.

Mainly, the Security force would be remiss in their duties as regarded the Starnes expedition kids. But those kids had already been assigned under the care of a different bunch of Enterprise personnel, and were hardly a threat one could plausibly feel the need to prepare against.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Pauln6]

One of the definitions for "Yeoman" is bodyguard, Janice Rand might be assigned as the Captain's yeoman out of security partly in that capacity. Kirk was pissed off when Rand was assigned as his yeoman not because he felt he didn't need a administrative assistant (he really did), but because he was offended by the idea of needing a bodyguard.

Yep - and if she is accurate enough to make hot coffee with a hand phaser, imagine what she could do to a man who dissed her beehive!

 

[Timo]

You mean her multifunctional security helmet, with the hidden garrotte, battleaxe and photon mortar?

Timo Saloniemi