This is only an example! Take and modify as needed for each unique community:
Not every police/ guard force will behave the same,
have the same ethics or jurisdictions!
Not every police/ guard force will behave the same,
have the same ethics or jurisdictions!
Guard Expectations
- Report for duty, meetings, and training on time.
- Report to superiors once a week.
- Participate in practice or training. The more you practice, the better you will become. Regularly scheduled sessions will be posted where all Gendarme can see it.
- Report all crimes and situations within the Gendarme jurisdiction immediately to the appropriate files and superiors.
- Maintain a sound mind while on duty, refraining from extreme emotional displays, drunkenness, or other mind-altering substances.
- Communicate. Do not withhold information from those involved in an investigation or from a superior. Your fellow guard are not expected to know what to ask you, you are expected to presume they do not know what you know and present it to them.
- Conversely, retain sensitive information as secret while a crime is being handled, whether on or off duty. Information should remain within the Gendarme alone unless required to be shared with others.
- Follow orders. If you question an order, do so in private, not during a crisis or time sensitive situation.
- Respect all comrades, superiors, council, residents, guests, people, and criminals within their cooperation.
In pursuing a crime of any nature, the first priority of the guard is to ensure safety.
This includes all involved regardless of who is witness, victim or criminal.
This includes all involved regardless of who is witness, victim or criminal.
- Assess the situation as best one can. A crime is to be stopped without needless bloodshed and injury if possible.
- Keep civilians back from the crime scene and/ or the individuals causing strife. Contain the situation as quickly and effectively as possible.
- At no point will a guard bring about bodily harm to anyone unless there is no other choice. If needed, the use of manacles or other restraints may be used to subdue those who are obstinate in following directives. This includes civilian's that refuse to obey orders to keep out of the hot zone.
- If all parties comply willingly to accompany the guard, however, the use of excessive force is not necessary.
The second priority is to find truth.
- Upon containment of the incident, the guard is to restrain the supposed criminal within a cell, and detain the victim(s) and the witnesses immediately. Each party will be segregated from each other and guarded.
- During this time, Criminal(s), victim(s), and witness(s) will be given medical care if needed.
- Witnesses and Victims will need to be questioned promptly and separately from each other. None are to leave or congregate until they offer their knowledge, and knowledge between witnesses and victims must not be shared with one another. This is to try and prevent collaborating testimonies.
- The supposed criminal will likewise be questioned, and regardless of a guards assurance of guilt or not, all involved in an incident are to be given fair chance to explain the situation. All the above will be guarded until these standards are met.
- While witnesses are invaluable, so too is the story of both criminal and victim. It is important to know not only what was done, but why. The motives of both accuser and accused must be taken into consideration before fair, accurate judgement is to be passed.
- Witnesses and Victims are to be released upon their testimony being received unless there is reason to suspect the victims or witnesses were deliberate contributors to the incident rather than accidental.
- Responding guards may require and ask of other Guards to help get statements, information, and to help guard and detain the involved persons.
The last priority is to deliver fair consequence.
- For crimes both violent and nonviolent, the punishment will fit the crime. Refer to the laws as necessary. Theft of an apple will not be punished the same as assault, theft out of need will not be punished the same as theft of want, nor will a tavern brawl be charged as a murder. Using evidence, motive, and good judgement, the accused of an incident must be given fair and just consequence.
- Responding Guards may require and ask to send for a member of the Guard who can issue punishment for non-simple crimes if they do not feel capable of meeting out punishment.
- In cases of violent crimes, the Gendarme will ensure that the criminal(s) are securely imprisoned and all statements, stories, and information has been gathered before requesting trial be performed.
Criminals will be detained until one of the following happens
- An appropriate punishment has been decided upon and delivered in cases of minor crimes.
- The interred individual is no longer deemed a risk to themselves or to others. In such cases, convening with the Infirmary/ Mage Guild as necessary can help in determining the danger the interred poses and a proper treatment to quickly and successfully return them to society.
- In Violent Crimes that do not require trial, when appropriate punishment is delivered and repercussions made to the damaged parties.
- In Violent Crimes that do require trial, the interred may only be released when the full extent of their judgement has been fulfilled.
- Pending the availability of information, minor sentencing will be done within a respectable time frame. The punishment must fit the crime. No prisoner will be forgotten within the jail.
Imprisonment Protocol
(Please refer to the Prison FAQ for more information)
- During the time in which a prisoner is interred, they are to be stripped of all belongings, including hair ties, boots, weapons, and jewelry, and provided a plain outfit of trousers and tunic. If certain objects can not be removed (fused to skin, keeping the individual alive, etc.), the prisoner is to be bound in such a way that they can not have access to the item.
- Prisoners that give reason to suspect violence is of high probability are to be kept shackled both hand and foot and bound by a short chain to the rings bolted to the cell walls.
- All prisoners are to be regularly fed, watered and kept warm while awaiting punishments. Meals of bread and gruel are twice a day, water three times, unless they medically require alternative or more frequent sustenance. If such is the case, it is to be mentioned in the filed report.
- Prisoners that are injured are to be given treatment to ensure their injuries do not become infected and that they are fit to answer questions or stand trial.
- All punishments are to be logged. Even if the interred is not guilty of a crime, in order for them to be fully processed to release, the log must reflect that no punishment had been dealt, and why. Whether punishment is dealt or not, the name of the Guard responsible for the interred's release must accompany the charges.
Other Protocol
- Incident reports will be filed immediately. No exceptions. The lead investigative guard must write the initial report. If they are injured and incapable of doing so, they will dictate their findings to another guard if able. If not, another Guard will be put in charge of the case to begin collecting information until such time that the primary guard on the case is able to corroborate information. Any other guard brought in to assist with the incident must make their addendum reports promptly. If such does not happen, those that neglect their paperwork obligation will be dealt with as their superiors see fit. A lack of promptness on the guards end can severely harm an investigation, as well as lead to improperly sentenced civilians, and such negligent behavior will result in disciplinary action or criminal charges, depending on severity or repeat neglect.
- Sentencing of simple crimes will be prompt.
- Complicated crimes, such as violent crimes and crimes where all information is not available or straight forward, will be reviewed by the Guard Officers Board. Criminals of these incidents will be detained as long as needed until proper, educated consideration of the facts is had, whereby punishment will be delivered or trial invoked.
- The guard is expected to communicate issues, concerns, and requests, from each other and from their superiors. If you feel something is amiss in a testimony, do not ignore it. Speak up, discuss, question. If you feel a soldiers actions were inappropriate, discuss the matter civilly with your comrade, or bring the matter to a superior for them to look into.
- Each of you is responsible not just for your actions but for all the actions of your fellow guard while on duty. At no point should a guard become violent or antagonistic with their fellows or with others. You represent not just the Guard but the kingdom, and by extension, the ruling nobility.
- The Guard are a whole entity. If one of you decides to act brashly or stupidly, all of you will be held accountable, from General to Initiate. We are one voice, one sound. We must act like it.
Jurisdiction Protocol
The Guard is tasked with the civil defense of the people. Our jurisdiction is to enforce Law, to safeguard the people and their property against threats within the walls. The Guard are shields of the people.
In such instances where a case takes a turn from a matter of Law to a matter of Kingdom safety, all documents, evidence, testimonies and prisoners are to be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Military. Unless the Guard is requested to further assist on the case, the Guard will relinquish all involvement to the appropriate parties.
In such instances where a case takes a turn from a matter of Law to a matter of safety of the Nobility and Royal Family, all documents, evidence, testimonies and prisoners are to be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Royal Guard. Unless the Guard is requested to further assist on the case, the Guard will relinquish all involvement to the appropriate parties.
In such instances where a case takes a turn from a matter of Law to a matter of safety to the Waters around the Kingdom, all documents, evidence, testimonies and prisoners are to be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Navy. Unless the Guard are requested to further assist on the case, the Guard will relinquish all involvement to the appropriate parties.
Moderators: Jenn