The Police Force

The DIO police force is the primary law enforcement organization in the DIO. The purpose of the police force is to prevent crime, enforce the law, and protect the safety of citizens. DIO police officers have the lawful power to make arrests and use violence if necessary. In certain situations, the police force may also provide first response to emergencies, protect public officials, protect certain public facilities, and operate prisons or other detention facilities

## Police Functions

The DIO police force has three primary functions, as outlined in the official DIO Police Force Handbook.

#### Law Enforcement

Law enforcement is the primary function of the police force. When DIO law has been violated, it is the objective of the police force to identify and apprehend the violator. Some such crimes may include murder, lack of a personal firearm, or robbery.

#### Order Maintenance

One of the secondary functions of the police force is to maintain general order in the DIO. This includes a range of activities that would be considered to be disruptive to the general public. Members of the police force generally deal with such situations with discretion, although it is mainly up to the decision of the individual police officer.

#### Service

The third function of the police force is service to the DIO population. This may include acts such as providing first aid, guiding the disorientated, providing tourist information, or acting as educators.

### Powers

Members of the DIO police force are granted certain powers to enable them to carry out their duties. In the event that an officer has probably cause to believe that a person has committed a crime, regardless of the severity of the crime, the officer may arrest the person with all necessary force. The person will then be held in a police station or jail pending judicial determination.

## Entry Qualifications

All DIO states have certain requirements that must be met before a person can undergo training to become a police officer. Many of these requirements apply not only to in-service training, but also to entry-level training.

The criteria required to undergo training includes, among other requirements, the following:

* Be a Divided Islands Of... citizen
* Have a tertiary school diploma or higher
* Be in sufficient medical, physical, and psychological condition
* Have a current drivers license
* Have and maintain a clean criminal record
* Not have a history of domestic violence or mental illness

Repeated interviews, background checks, written tests, fingerprinting, psychologist examinations, and polygraph examinations are used to determine the suitability of candidites.

## Police Equipment

### Firearms

Like all citizens of the DIO, members of the police force are legally required to carry at least one firearm on their person at all times. In addition to their state-issued firearm, police officers are also issued a secondary firearm upon becoming an officer. Common firearms include pistols, shotguns, or semi-automatic rifles.

### Other Weapons

All members of the DIO police force are required to carry a tactical knife on their person at all times when they are on duty.

Most police officers carry some from of impact weapon. These include nightsticks or tactical batons. Other less-lethal weapons used by members of the police force include pepper spray, mace, beanbag shotgun rounds, or an electroshock gun.

### Body Armor

Uniformed police officers often wear some form of body armor, usually a Level 3,4, or 5 bulletproof vest. Officers specializing in bomb disposal wear heavy Stalinite armor to protect from explosions. Other specialized officers such as K-9 or anti-vehicle units.

### Drones

In the past few decades, the police force has begun using unmanned drones to conduct reconnaissance in dangerous locations. These drones can be used to reveal the layout of a room, identify subjects, or locate hostages by transmitting real-time video and audio to the pilot when officers cannot directly see a suspect or enter a location.

## See Also

* DIO Government
* SWAB