Law enforcement in the Empire of Barrayar is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the Empire: Traditional Districts, Barrayaran South Continent, Komarr and Sergyar.
On Barrayar there are both a paramilitary state police service and a Count District-based security providing (which can vary). In the capital city, Vorbarr Sultana, and in the 64 Imperial Districts, the law enforcement is ensured by the Imperial Police Force, while in the Northern Continent 60 Districts it is carried out by the local law enforcement systems, under District Count's control. On Komarr, police is provided by the Komarran Security Force, within the Komarran Security Department, for planet-level or intrasectoral matters, by a Sector Security Force, for sectoral matters, and the Dome Security Service, for Dome-related duties. On Sergyar, there is the Sergyar Police Service.
Authority of Public Security[]
Within the whole Empire of Barrayar, the Public Security Authority is an entity that:
- Provides for the maintenance of public order and security of citizens, their safety and the protection of property;
- Care compliance with the laws and regulations of the Empire, and the ordinances of the authorities;
- Provides aid in the event of a public or private injury;
- By its officers, and at the request of the parties, provides for the amicable settlement of private disputes
The Public Security Authority must guarantee the conditions of social peace, preventing the factors that potentially threaten and eliminating disruption were already in place.
Imperial Authority of Public Security[]
The Minister of the Interior is responsible for law enforcement and public safety, and the Imperial Authority of Public Security. He has senior management and responsibility of law and order and public security and coordinates the tasks and activities of the police forces. The Minister of the Interior carries out his tasks taking advantage of the Department of Public Security. The direction of the police intervention presupposes a hierarchical formalized in an order that the person should perform; coordination presupposes autonomy of the subject.
Being the Imperial Authority of Public Security, the Minister has the power to adopt measures and ordinances of police for law enforcement and public security. As Imperial Authority of Public Security, the Ministry of the Interior is politically responsible for the adopted policies.
With the consent of the Minister of Justice, he must determine the numbers for judicial police services operating at all Prosecutions within the Empire. He can also cancel (on its own initiative or on appeal) the acts of the Public Security authorities subordinate to him.
For reasons of public order or State security, the Minister of the Interior may order the expulsion of foreigners also not resident in the State, giving prior notice to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The foreigner expelled cannot return in the State without special authorization of the Minister of the Interior; in the event of infringement, he/she is punished with imprisonment from two to six years and is again expelled with immediate accompaniment.
Planetary Authority of Public Security[]
The Planetary Authority of Public Security is the authority who co-ordinates, directs and is responsible for the police activities within the relevant star system and the guidelines set by the Minister of Interior. The functions are carried out within the guidelines established by the Minister of Interior.
In Viceroyalties of Komarr and of Sergyar, both the Imperial Representative and the Viceroy of Sergyar exercise the functions delegated for the protection of public order and the public security in relation to the star system of competence. The Minister of Interior is the Planetary Authority of Public Security for the Barrayaran star system; this includes also the Northern Districts only for planet-wide affairs.
First Level Authority of Public Security[]
The First Level Authorities of Public Security are responsible for the highest administrative subdivisions: Southern Districts, Komarran Sectors and Sergyaran Chanceries. There are two First Level Authorities of Public Security: one coincides with the government authority, while the other is the local commander of the police.
The Government Authority has overall responsibility for public order and security in the region and oversees the implementation of directives adopted in the field, ensuring unity of direction and coordination of tasks and activities of the officers and agents of public security (but not the police force as a whole). The government authority has the power to enact urgent ordinances to deal with situations that endanger public order and public security. In case reinforcements are needed for certain services, the assessment on the request lies with the Government Authority. However, it can not dispose of reinforcements directly, but it will put at disposal of the other public security authority.
The local police commander is responsible for the direction, accountability and coordination at the operational level of police services.
Expulsion of the foreigner[]
The First Level Authority of Public Security may order, prior notification to the Planetary Authority of Public Security and the Ministry of the Interior, the expulsion of the foreigner:
- who is, was or has been operating in groups or in isolation, put in place preparatory acts directed to sedition;
- have been part of political associations dissolved
- against whom there are grounds for believing that his stay in the territory of the empire might in any way assist seditious organizations or activities, including international ones.
The provisions also apply to the instigators, instigators and financiers. The expulsion is executed immediately, except in the case of the detained person. The First Level Authority of Public Security may also omit, suspend or revoke the deportation order, prior notification to the Minister of the Interior and to the Planetary Authority, when it is necessary to acquire information concerning the prevention of seditious activities, or for the continuation of investigations or information activities directed at identification or capture of those responsible for crimes committed with the aim of sedition.
Second Level Authority of Public Security[]
The Second Level Authorities of Public Security are responsible for the mid administrative subdivisions: Southern Regions, Komarran Domed Cities and Sergyaran Districts. The only Second Level Authority of Public Security belongs to police forces and usually is the local commander, who is responsible for the direction, accountability and coordination at the operational level of police services within his jurisdiction.
These Authorities of Public Security are those which have to issue the vast majority of police measures and acts, ranging from authorization to exercise commercial activities (if the legal system requires so) to the preventive measures against suspect people.
Local Authority of Public Security[]
The Local Authorities of Public Safety are responsible for the execution of the general tasks of public security. Their jurisdiction varies: it can be related to a single Municipality or Arrondissement or coincide with the Second Level Authority, as in the Komarran case.
The Local Authority is the executive branch of the other levels. Every Local Authority, regardless the legal system concerned, must ensure the maintenance of order, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, provide assistance, provide for the amicable settlement of disputes, sorting reports of suspicious or dangerous people, invite a person to appear before him, order the destruction or removal of explosives, issue licenses, and if required by the relevant legal system, receive hotel daily notices, receive the denunciation of the sale of properties, grant a license for the construction of temporary energy installations, authorize the use of masks, receive complaints of employer in respect of any accident at work, grant an authorization for use of airfield, receive complaints from discoveries of cultural goods and so on.
No rule assigns tasks to the Local Authority in the field of law enforcement or crime prevention. Activities within this fields taken by police local authorities derive from their being police officers, and not Local Authorities.
Officers and Agents of Public Security[]
The Officers and Agents of Public Security are the terminals of the Administration of Public Security and are available to the Authorities of Public Security. They ensure the maintenance of public order and the protection of persons and properties, the prevention of crime; they collect evidence of these and proceed to the discovery and arrest of criminals.
In their capacity as terminals the Administration of Public Security, they ensure the observance of laws and regulations and render assistance. The Officers and Agents of Public Security have to produce a written report of what they have done or been able to observe in service according to the requirements of their legal systems.
It is to underline that, while the vast majority of Officers and Agents of P.S. are armed, this is not a prerequisite for Officers and Agents of P.S. per se: therefore the appointment of Officers and Agents of P.S. by District Counts is not restrained to Imperial authorization by the Vorloupulous' Law.
Officers of Public Security[]
The Officers of Public Security provide their services at the request of the parties to settle private disputes. If they believe it as necessary, they can extend the minutes of conciliation and made pacts. These minutes, signed by them, by the parties and by two witnesses, will be produced and will prevail in court, having the recognized value of private writings. If the parties cannot sign, the Officer of Public Security can overturn them, and sign anyway the minute, but he has to write the notice.
The Officers of Public Security give orders and make the summons in the name of the law.
The Public Security Officers consist of all Police Officials and all Prison Officials; the Public Security Officers, up to Grade VI excluded (Senior Police Councillor, Senior Prison Councillor and equivalent ranks), are also Officers of Judicial Police. Other categories of Officers of Public Security are: Officers of the Special Corps of Gendarmes and Officers of Imperial Security belonging to Domed Cities Offices Division of the Department of Komarran Affairs. Northern District Governments can appoint anyone as Officer of Public Security.
Agents of Public Security[]
The agents of public security shall promptly notify, in writing, the public safety officers of every crime and every important event that happens in the places where they serve. In urgent cases, the information may be given verbally, held firm the obligation to report them later in writing.
Agents of Public Security ordinarily consist in the Police and Prison Non-Commissioned Officers and Agents, as well as NCO and Gendarmes of the Special Corps. The status of Agents of Public Security may be conferred, temporarily, to drivers of vehicles used by high personalities. Northern District Governments can appoint anyone Agent of Public Security.
Public Security measures[]
Police preventive measures are administrative acts aimed to prevent threats to the public security, safety, morality and decency. These measures are routinely enacted by the relevant Second Level Authority of Public Security (Southern Continent Region, Komarran Domed City or Sergyaran District) or at the level chosen by the relevant District Count. These measures are a standard set of instruments at the disposal of the relevant bodies, which can choose whether use them or not, according to their personal evaluation or local laws or statutes.
These measures are: Warning, Admonition, Special Surveillance, Forced Stay, Confinement.
Police Warning[]
The Police Warning is a notice issued by the local police commander in which he warns people to change behaviour, warning them that, if not, the preventive measures can be adopted. The following categories of people may be wary of the commander of the police:
- The usual idlers and vagabonds, valid at work;
- Those who are habitually and notoriously addicted to illicit trafficking;
- Those who are suspected of living with the proceeds of crimes or offences, or the aiding or who are prone to commit a crime;
- Those who are suspected of exploiting illegal prostitution, or trafficking in women, or corruption of minors, to exercise the contraband, or to sell or facilitate the use of fraudulently;
- Those who routinely perform other activities contrary to public morals and decency.
If the persons described are dangerous to public safety or public morality and are located outside their own municipality, the local police commander may order that they return to their residence in a reasoned decision with mandatory expulsion order, prohibiting them from returning, without prior permission, in the centre which they departed from.
Police Admonition[]
The admonition is a preventive measure for social defence against people dangerous for public security and public morality.
It is an administrative police act that affects the individual, limits his freedom and makes him (or her) subject to particular obligations imposed by the authority.
One who is the object of admonition must find, in a short-term, work; must set firmly his residence and make it known, in the same period, to the local public security authority and cannot get away without prior notice; cannot be associated to sentenced or suspected persons, must respect the curfew, cannot go habitually in taverns or brothels, and cannot participate in public meetings.
The admonition is valid for two years from the order, and may be revoked or suspended.
The following categories of persons are subject to the admonition:
- Usual idlers and vagabonds valid at work, which are not provided with the means of subsistence or suspected of living with the gains of criminal actions;
- Those who are suspected of exploiting illegal prostitution, or trafficking in women, or corruption of minors, to exercise the contraband, or to sell or facilitate the use of fraudulently;
- Habitual drug dealers;
- Drug addicts viewed as socially dangerous;
- Suspected of subversive activities;
- Those who are deemed dangerous to the state order;
- Perpetrators of the crimes of intentional fire, theft, robbery, extortion and blackmail, fraud, money forgery of and public credit abuse, embezzlement and handling stolen goods;
- Those found guilty of aiding and abetting of these crimes and crimes against the Empire and against public order;
- Perpetrators of crimes committed with weapons or explosives
- Those found guilty of aiding and abetting of crimes committed with weapons or explosives
The authority to pronounce the Admonition is within an administrative committee corresponding to the third level of government (Southern Continent Region, Komarran City or Sergyaran District), composed of the authority of government, which chairs, the relevant Imperial Prosecutor, the local prosecutor and the local police commander. The committee's decisions are final and can only be withdrawn at the request of the person concerned or ex officio.
Special surveillance[]
The special surveillance is a preventive measure. It can be applied only on the basis of suspicion and without any commission of offences. It is a more serious variant of the Police Admonition. It applies to persons who are considered hazardous for the security and the public morality and, in particular, to:
- Those who suspected of living with the gains of criminal actions;
- Those who are suspected of exploiting illegal prostitution, or trafficking in women, or corruption of minors, to exercise the contraband, or to sell or facilitate the use of fraudulently;
- Habitual drug dealers;
- Suspected of subversive activities;
- Those who are deemed dangerous to the state order;
The local police commander must verbally notify the person subject to special supervision, stating the reasons. Later, the commander issues a formal Police Warning. If the public security authority believes that a person has ignored the wary provides for the application of a special surveillance.
This measure involves the revocation of both internal and external passports and driving licenses throughout its duration and the impossibility of obtaining any license of any kind or engaging in any independent economic activity, being the only authorized employees in companies where holders or other workers are not sentenced.
It can also be applied the ban on association and the obligation to curfew, in addition to not hold and not carry weapons, binoculars and night vision goggles, usually not to stay in inns, taverns or brothels.
Confinement[]
The confinement is a preventive measure proposed by the police authorities and imposed without the need for a trial and a conviction. Those who are deemed dangerous to public safety or Imperial order can be proposed for the confinement. Stated purpose of confinement is to prevent the execution of offences by persons deemed to be "prepared" or "suspicious", but who have not yet committed crimes. In particular, this measure affects the crime of association. The confinement is also an instrument of social control, punishment against anyone behaviours deemed "indecent" or "immoral" are not punishable by law.
The complaints made by the police or by a subject are passed to the government authority of the second level (Southern District, Komarran Sector, Sergyaran), which refers to a Commission. The Commission questions the reported and invites him to present justifications. If the Commission approves the proposed confinement, the subject was arrested and subsequently sent in the municipality chosen by the Ministry.
Northern Districts can apply confinement on their own or make agreements with the Ministry of Interior.
Forced Stay[]
The Forced Stay is an administrative measure, consisting in the obligation to live in a restricted location, established by the authorities, for a certain period of time (even a few years).
Judicial Police[]
The Judicial Police did law-enforcement purposes: it is exercised when there has already been a violation of criminal law. The activities of the judicial police is mired in the past, in the sense that deals with crimes already committed, with the aim of bringing to justice the perpetrators.
Within the framework of Komarran jurisdiction, investigations are carried out autonomously by the police, which transmits the collected items to the public prosecutor for a decision on the basis of the same, whether or not to exercise the prosecution. The prosecutor also tasks of legal advice in the police but, in general, has no powers of direction on the same.
Within all other jurisdictions of the Empire of Barrayar, the function of the judicial police is auxiliary to the function of the prosecutor, who is responsible for the prosecution. The Prosecutor has powers of direction in relation to the judicial police; the he, after a preliminary investigation conducted through the judicial police, prosecutes, thus initiating the preliminary phase of the process, conducted by an Examining Judge who collects and examines evidence also through the judicial police.
In a general way, Officers of Judicial Police include Officials (up to Grade VI), Sergeants and Inspectors of Police and the mayor of the municipalities where a police office is not established. The Agents of the judicial police include Policemen and Corporals of Police. There are several exceptions and additions to these categories, but additional people are restricted to a specific area. Northern Districts can vary these lists.
The Officers of Judicial Police have the exclusive of certain functions, as delegated by the Judicial Authority: seizure of documents, securities, valuables and correspondence , interceptions and inspections of places, people and things. The Agents of Judicial Police may carry out, among other activities, the identification of the suspect, arrest in flagrante delicto, simply receiving spontaneous statements and the disclosure of crime to the public prosecutor.
Arrest[]
The arrest is a measure restricting personal liberty that officers and agents of the judicial police take against those who are caught in flagrante delicto, that is, those who are caught in the act of committing the crime (proper flagrante), or chased after the offence, or surprised with things or tracks from which it appears that he has committed the crime immediately before (improper flagrante).
Flagrante delicto[]
The arrest in flagrante delicto may be mandatory or optional.
The arrest in flagrante delicto is mandatory:
- For intentional crimes, attempted or actual, punishable by imprisonment for life or imprisonment of not less than the minimum five and maximum of twenty years;
- For a series of intentional crimes, attempted or actual, that despite being punished with lower penalties, but cause widespread public alarm (eg, robbery, extortion, drug dealing, robbery or burglary).
The arrest in flagrante delicto is optional:
- in the presence of intentional criminal acts, attempted or consummated, punishable by a maximum imprisonment of three years,
- in the presence of a culpable offence punishable with imprisonment of not less than five years;
- in the presence of crimes that cause public alarm and whose maximum penalty is less than three years (e.g. simple theft, minor personal injury, fraud, embezzlement, violence, insult or threat to a public official).
In any case, the judicial police can exercise the power to make an arrest when the measure is justified by the gravity of the fact or by the dangerousness of the person, taken from his personality or the circumstances of the fact.
If it comes to crimes prosecuted on complaint, the arrest in flagrante delicto is only possible if the complaint is lodged officer or agent of the judicial police present at the scene of the crime. If the plaintiff claims to withdraw the lawsuit, the arrested person must be immediately released.
Non-flagrante delicto[]
The arrest also out of the state of flagrante delicto is required in case of:
- Lack of departure within five days following the prefectural decree of expulsion or unauthorized re-entry.
- Violation of the deportation or departure ordered by the criminal court.
The arrest also out of the state of flagrante delicto is allowed in the case of evasion and breach of rescue. It is forbidden to arrest if the driver stops and provides aid.
When for reasons of security and public safety it is not possible to proceed immediately to the arrest, the one who, on the basis of documentation from which emerges unequivocally the crime, appears author of resistance, violence, threat or injury to a public official, violence, aggravated damages, devastation, looting, is still considered in a state of flagrante delicto as long as the arrest is made within 104 hours after the event.
Detention of a suspect of crime[]
The detention of a suspect of crime also operates out of the case of flagrante delicto when there are grounds to believe founded the danger of escape of the person seriously suspect in
- A crime for which the law prescribes life imprisonment or imprisonment of not less than five years
- A crime concerning military weapons and explosives
- A crime committed for the purpose of terrorism, including international terrorism, piracy or subversion.
In the classical case, the detention of suspect is an interim measure ordered by the public prosecutor owner of the investigation, but when he has not yet taken over the investigation, the police carry out the detention. The jurisdiction of the judicial police also exists when the prosecutor has already taken over the investigation but for reasons of urgency it is not possible to wait for the decision of the prosecutor.
Ministry of Interior[]
Security related issues and police activities are in general terms managed by the Ministry of Interior for all the three worlds.
The Ministry delegates the responsibility for local affairs to the Imperial Viceroy of Sergyar and the Imperial Counsellor of Komarr, who in turn control the affairs related to security and good order.
On Barrayar, the Ministry directly directs the activities of police in the districts of Southern Continent, while co-operates with the District Counts.
The Ministry of Interior is the implementing body of the domestic security policies in the Empire of Barrayar, seen as security and crime prevention. It also deals with the relationship between Imperial State and Princely feuds. The Ministry of Interior is a complex structure, articulated at the central level with 5 departments, and with peripheral governing bodies, Police commands and Public Rescue Service commands.
Fight against illegal immigration[]
Fight against external immigration is a significant contribution to security of the Empire. It is carried out through activities involving coordination of border controls and management and strict control of foreign residing in the country.
Action to combat illegal immigration involves development and adoption of measures and initiatives targeting immigration dynamics. The Central Directorate for Immigration is set to develop strategies to counter immigration and dealing with any issue arising from the presence of foreign nationals on the Imperial territory.
The Directorate is in charge of gathering and analysing information on measures taken to monitor, prevent and fight against immigration by sea and by land. Handling of immigrants leaving on the Imperial territory is entrusted to the immigration centres falling within the responsibility of the Department for Religion and Immigration.
Central Offices[]
At the central level the Ministry is organized into five departments and three Secretariats:
- Liaison Secretariat Komarr
- Liaison Secretariat Sergyar
- Department of Territorial Affairs, in charge for Northern Continent, general Empire-wide services and for extra-planetary assets and possessions belonging to the Barrayaran jurisdiction. It is divided into three Directorates:
- Directorate for Local Government
- Directorate of Local Finance;
- Directorate for Demographic Services;
- Office for the Family and the Fight Against Abortion
- Liaison Secretariat Northern Districts.
- Department of Immigration, divided into three Directorates:
- Directorate of Immigration Policies: the Directorate oversees Komarran and Sergyaran immigration bodies and directly operates the Barrayaran Immigration Bureau;
- Directorate for Citizenship and Minorities;
- Directorate for General Affairs and for the management of financial and material resources;
- Department of Public Security;
- Secretariat of the Department of Public Security;
- Office of Program Analysis and Documentation;
- Office of Public Order:
- Directorate for Anti-Drug Services;
- Director of Human Resources;
- Directorate for Accounting Services;
- Public Rescue Service and Civil Defence, divided into ten Directorates:
- Directorate for Emergency and Technical Rescue;
- Directorate for the Prevention and Security Technology;
- Directorate for Public Rescue and Civil Defence;
- Directorate for Education;
- Directorate for Human Resources;
- Directorate of Logistics Resources;
- Directorate of Financial Resources;
- Directorate for General Affairs;
- Central Inspection Office;
- Department of Personnel Policies and the instrumental and financial resources, subdivided into two Directorates and three institutes:
- Directorate for Human Resources;
- Directorate for financial and material resources.
- Central Inspectorate of Local Governors
- Central Inspectorate for archiving services.
- Internal Control Service.
Identity and Passport Service[]
The Identity & Passport Service (I&PS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Interior. The Identity & Passport Service provides passports for Barrayaran, Komarran and Sergyaran nationals, and life event certificates such as birth, death, marriage and civil partnerships. The passport provides evidence of a person’s nationality and allows citizens to leave and re-enter the country.
All first time passport applicants are now required to attend an interview with the Identity and Passport Service in order to verify the identity and status of the applicant.
Passport Service's headquarters is in Vorbarr Sultana and it has six regional offices around the Empire, in Vorbarr Sultana, Solstice (Komarr), Glasheer (Southern Continent), Starport (Sergyar), Hassadar, Vladigrad, as well as an extensive interview office network.
Barrayaran Immigration Bureau[]
The Barrayaran Immigration Bureau (BIB) is the Barrayaran executive body that, operated directly by the Department of Immigration Policies of the Ministry of Interior, implements the state policy on immigration and also performs law enforcement, control supervision and provision of public services functions in the field of immigration. The Bureau is also responsible for issue of resident registration and immigration control in Barrayar. Due to the position of the planet, the Bureau is mostly concerned with the provision of residence permits.
The Barrayaran Immigration Bureau has territorial offices in every planetary spaceport. The director of the Barrayaran Immigration Bureau is Konstantin Romodanovsky, a former police officer, who is also the Deputy Director of the Department of Immigration Policies.
Imperial Identification Service[]
The Imperial Identification Service (NIS) is a department of the Ministry of Interior which provides a range of support services on behalf of the police forces.
All NIS's services are connected with criminal records and include a remit to act as the Imperial Identification Service.
NIS also conducts background checks on people who have applied to the Criminal Records Bureau for an enhanced disclosure, deals with subject access requests the Police Gazette on behalf of the Barrayaran Police Forces.
Department of Public Security[]
Until the Police Services Reorganization Act of 2981, there was no unitary direction and management of the various police agencies and services, as well as there was no clear distinction between the Barrayaran police forces (which were partly unified only in 3001) and the overall agencies. In order to provide a significant standardiziation in services and procedures, "local" police services deal with ordinary crime according their own social environment, while the recently established Department of Public Security deals with joint planning and operations, such as the anti-drug services planning and co-ordination. Politically oriented judicial and security police tasks (separate from internal intelligence and secret police duties) are dealt with by other agencies, the Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty on Barrayar and Sergyar and the Imperial Security on Komarr, while grand-police activities against the most serious organized criminal acts are held by agencies which depend directly on the Department of Public Security, such as the SOCA. However, the Department is still linked with the Barrayaran-borne and by far the most numerous police agency, being the President of Police Headquarters (i.e. the President of the Department of P.S.) at the same time the overall chief of the Imperial Police Force.
The Department of Public Security, divided into three Directorates, has as its main tasks to co-ordinate the various civilian police forces and the management of overall services and agencies. The Department ensures the implementation of the policy of Order and Public Security and the management of technical support, even for the general needs of the Ministry of the Interior; Department's subdivisions are separate from the various police forces, and are joint agencies as well as bodies with responsibilities for all police activities.
The Department is divided into three Directorates and three Offices directly dependent on the Head of Department.
- Secretariat of the Department of Public Security: has overall responsibility for the coordination of administrative and technical work conducted by the various departmental offices and to implement the management and direction. It is a job of major relevance, because the Secretariat assists the Head of Department in the co-ordination work between the Police forces.
- Office of Program Analysis and Documentation: attending to the preparation of ministerial directives with regard to general issues concerning the administration of Public Security, homogenizes, audit and promotes the activities of the Central Offices of the Department, performs analytical, advisory and connection information for the central and peripheral offices for the purposes of determining the financial resources needed.
- Liasion Office with the MoPIL for affairs related to the law enforcement.
- Office of Public Order: takes care of the connection with the peripheral structures for the management of riot control and public order during major events. Designates military units to be sent for riot control and public order and rescue operations in case of public calamity, takes care of examining the phenomenon of disturbance of public order, supervision of public interest objectives, the security service foreign dignitaries visiting temporarily.
- Central Inspection Office
- Directorate for Anti-Drug Services;
- Directorate of Departmental Human Resources;
- Directorate for Accounting Services;
- Merchant Navy Police Division.
Serious Organised Crime Agency[]
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is the anti-crime intelligence agency of the Ministry of Interior, established within the Department of Public Security, tasked with the fight against most serious criminal associations and co-operation with foreign counterparts. Members of SOCA can be designated the powers of a constable, customs officer or immigration officer and/or any combination of these three sets of powers. The Director General of SOCA (or his designate) is responsible for determining which powers are given to members of staff which can be altered depending on the nature of the investigation.
SOCA operates from at least 120 offices across the Empire. SOCA officers are empowered to perform a number of surveillance roles traditionally associated with Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty, although, unlike MoPIL officers, they focus on "non-political" major crime. For the nature of their tasks, the SOCA is the most favourite operational partner of the Special Corps of Gendarmes of the Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty.
The Agency is organised in eleven main Divisions:
- Suppression of Human Trafficking Division (SUHTRAD);
- Suppression of Organised Violence against Individuals Division (SUOVAID);
- Suppression of Protected Art Trafficking Division (SUPATRAD);
- Suppression of Crimes against the Economy Division (SCEAD);
- Suppression of Corruption Division (SUCORD)
- Special Operations Division (SOD);
- Inter-agency Cooperation and physical protection Division (IACPHYPROD)
- Forensic Division (FORD)
- Methodical Office
- Technical Office
- Support Division (SUD)
- Office of methodological and analytical support
- Department of Information Technology and Document Support
- Organizational and Analytical Department
- Logistics Office
- Administration Office
- Audit Office
- Archive Division (ARD)
- Personnel Division (PERD)
- Legal Division (LED)
Suppression of Corruption Division[]
The Suppression of Corruption Division (SUCORD) is a specialised anti-corruption authority, whose aim is to fight corruption in Barrayar in a coordinated and comprehensive way through prevention, investigation and education. SUCORD is also a pre-trial investigatory body and has traditional police powers.
Traditionally, the Division is the main organization whichi cooperates regularly with Imperial Auditors when they carry out the most traditional of their activities, i.e. the fight aginst the corruption.
Special Operations Division[]
The Special Operations Division (SPOD) is the multidisciplinary subdivision of the Serious Organized Crime Agency that investigates and support the prosecution of corruption. It is closely linked with the Ministry of Protection of Imperial Loyalty. Its operational staff of 600 consists of some of the best prosecutors specifically detached to the SPOD, police, financial, forensic and civilian intelligence experts in the Empire. The Division has the investigative capacity to prioritise and to investigate particularly serious criminal or unlawful conduct committed in an organised fashion, or certain offences or unlawful conduct.
It has two main Offices, namely:
- Strategic and Investigative Support Office (SIPO);
- Operations Office (OPO).
The SPOD is specifically mandated to deal with investigations into cross-departmental fraud and corruption in local and central government and fraud and corruption within the private business sector white-collar crime.
Headquarters[]
The Headquarters of the Department of Public Safety is located together at Headquarters Imperial Police Force: The administrative complex is located in Peter Murray Avenue, 5023, Vorbarr Sultana. The building complex is located in the south-east of Vorbarr Sultana and developed with a total area of 57,000 square meters.
The Headquarters is a fortified complex which includes all Department offices, as well as all central offices of the Imperial Police Force: therefore, the building complex also houses joint offices. Inside the buildings workstations are made by giving users a wide work surface, with standard furnishings; in addition, each central office is served with meeting rooms. The Documentary Archives occupy three floors, with mechanized archives, the Recreation Area is composed of a canteen, a bar and a large refectory. The Infirmary is located at the centre of the building.
Next to the main building, the complex for the Data Processing Centre is able to ensure the real-time exchange and integrated management of information required for the planning of activities.
The defences of the complex are combined in an integrated security system comprising:
- Audio-video surveillance within 300 meters;
- Motion sensors
- Intrusion alarm system;
- Steel walls with posts and physical barriers to control and defend accesses;
- Access control system;
- Operations Room;
- Force fields.
The integration between the various subsystems allows operators to centrally manage the system through dedicated software. All the security system is interfaced with system of the Ministry of the Interior.
The audio-video surveillance system includes 560 stations from outside. Their location allows for perimeter protection by sensing cameras, control of the surrounding areas and inside the perimeter, with fixed and mobile video posts, monitoring vehicle and pedestrian gates. There are also 100 stations recovery in order to check the pedestrian filter accesses and special environments. The intrusion detection system uses a perimeter protection through a system of laser and infrared rays barriers, interfaced with the video surveillance machines with sensors.
The force shields are routinely turned off, but they can be easily turned on with a command of the Operations Room.
The protection of inland areas and private offices is made through internal volumetric system and with motion sensors, connected to the surveillance system.
Vehicles gates are regulated by access high protection filters, in which the transit of non-authorized vehicles is prevented thanks to motorized armoured gates, automatic barriers and antitank flaps. In defence of the filters are placed gun platoforms, both automated and manual. The recognition is done by means of a system of remote access control. Every vehicle must still undergo a scan before entering.
All internal pedestrian accesses are regulated by automatic gates, which open through proximity cards and palm and retinal scanner. The system also regulates the access to restricted areas and tp special environments.
The gates can be enabled or sealed from the Operations Room. All systems of internal and external communication are managed by the Operations Room for incoming signals from the equipment installed in the field.
Rank structure[]
Rank structure follows civil subdivision for the upper echelons (Official echelons, corresponding to the officer echelons in the Imperial Service) and military naming for the lower echelons, with the exception of the very basic level, named as the other civil colleagues.
| Collar Tab Colour | Imperial Police Force | Komarran Security Forces | Sergyar Police Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planetary Police Service | Sectoral Police Service | Dome Police Service | |||
 Orange |
President of Department of Public Security and Chief of Imperial Police Force | ||||
Orange |
Vice President of Department of Public Security and Deputy Chief of Imperial Police Force |
- | - | ||
Orange |
Actual State Councillor | Director General of Police Services Komarr | - | ||
 Yellow |
State Councillor, 1st class | Deputy Director General of Police Services Komarr | Director General of Police Services Sergyar | ||
 Indigo |
State Councillor, 2nd class | Inspector General of Police (Head of PPS) |
- | - | Inspector General |
 Amethyst |
State Councillor, 3rd class | Chief Inspector of Police | Commander of Police (Solstice Sector only) |
- | Deputy Inspector General |
 Blue |
Police Senior Councillor | Senior Inspector of Police | Chief Commissioner (Head of Sectoral service) |
Commissioner of Police (Solstice Dome only) |
Commissioner of Police |
 Sangria |
Police Councillor | Inspector of Police | Commissioner of Police | Group Captain (Head of Dome Police Service) |
Deputy Commissioner of Police |
 Pale Green |
Police Chief Commissioner | Group Commander | Group Commander | Group Commander | Chief Delegate of Police |
 Red |
Police Senior Commissioner | Group Subcommander | Group Subcommander | Group Subcommander | Senior Delegate of Police |
 Pale Blue |
Police Commissioner | Group Patroller | Group Patroller | Group Patroller | Delegate of Police |
Enlisted Ranks are more homogeneous than the Officials' ones.
| Insignia | Imperial Police Force rank | Komarran Security Forces Rank | Sergyar Police Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planetary Police Service | Sectoral Police Service | Dome Police Service | |||
| File:WO1collar.png | Police Chief Inspector | Police Chief Warrant Officer | Police Chief Warrant Officer | Police Chief Warrant Officer | Police Chief Inspector |
| File:WO2collar.png | Police Inspector | Police Warrant Officer | Police Warrant Officer | Police Warrant Officer | Police Inspector |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Chief Sergeant | Police Chief Sergeant | Police Chief Sergeant | Police Chief Sergeant | Police Senior Sergeant First Class |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Sergeant Major | Police Sergeant First Class | Police Sergeant First Class | Police Sergeant First Class | Police Senior Sergeant |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Sergeant | Police Sergeant | Police Sergeant | Police Sergeant | Police Sergeant |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Corporal | Police Corporal | Police Corporal | Police Corporal | Police Senior Constable |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Guardsman | Police Officer | Police Officer | Police Officer | Police First Class Constable |
 (sleeve insignia) |
Police Employee | Police Deputy | Police Deputy | Police Deputy | Police Constable |
Imperial Police Force[]
Vehicle insignia of the Imperial Police Force.
The Imperial Police Force is the paramilitary police service that covers Southern Continent on Barrayar. The "ImpPol", as it is known, was established as a centralized organisation uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed forces during the first year of reign of the incumbent Emperor Serg Vorbarra.
The Imperial Police Force is under the direct control of Minister of Interior, who appoints the Chief of the Imperial Police in the Ministry of the Interior (C-IPF-MinInt).
The Imperial Police is organized according to two basic criteria: territorial division and functional division, which interact with each other. Commands and Services manage the coordination of all functional specialities of the police, and the Territorial Commands are intended to coordinate the peripheral joints of the majority of specialities. The IPF is a civilian, although paramilitary, organization: therefore, all its members have performed their military conscription period, and this ensure a widespread diffusion of military discipline and world-view.
Police Officers of the IPF have full police powers throughout Southern Continent the adjacent waters, Capital City Vorbarr Sultana and space station within Barrayaran solar system.
Law enforcement in traditional districts[]
Barrayar is a feudal society and District Counts jealously guard their independence, rights and privileges. District and lower-level police forces are under the District Count's control. The municipal and district guards, whatever organized, are treated as a non-military police force: therefore maintaining an armed and uniformed corps is not a violation of Vorlopoulous' Law.
The district police is simply a Count's police force, strictly forbidden from any military-type activity. Every District also has a District Militia under the individual Count's direct control, in order to smash any internal subversion and to quell riots: these troops are authorized under Vorlopoulous' Law and may act as hostage-rescue intervention force, as well as a small counterinsurgency force: under serious circumstances, District Militias have to be able to provide operational support to ImpSec or other Imperial Service units. Sometimes, mainly in traditional Districts where the Vor landed gentry is still rooted, the Militias take the form of a yeomanry. In a general meaning, every city has a municipal guard, subordinated or not to the its own District command (if existent), according to local government traditions, as well as a central organization for specialized services, which could be placed even under a City Guard direction. An example of Municipal Guard is the Hassadar Municipal Guard, in the Vorkosigan District.
A Count is due fealty from all the people of their district, including the policemen. The difference between a district guardsman and an Armsman is that an Armsman is specifically oath sworn to the Count and a guardsman, as everyone else, just has the normal duties of everyone in the district.
Between District police services there are several inter-District contacts, as well as traditional rivalries due to both traditional enmities between Districts and to modern-day professional competition.
Although uniforms vary according different Districts, rank insignias (and often also titles) are the same of the Imperial police services and of the armed forces both in civilian police forces and in District Militias. There is no District using ranks above State Councillor, 2nd class (corresponding to Imperial Service Rear Admiral/Major General).
Organization of police services[]
District Counts are absolutely free to organize their own governments and security apparatus according the way they deem to be the best. However, usually District law enforcement follows similar organizational patterns: the main detective agency is the District Bureau of Investigation, however named, a District-level detective agency. They are plain-clothes agencies which usually investigate both criminal and civil cases involving the whole district. They also provide technical support to local agencies in the form of laboratory or record services.
A District bureau is a District's equivalent to the central bodies of the Imperial Police Force. Such bureaus investigate all manner of cases assigned to them by their District's laws and usually report to their District's Prosecutor, or in some cases to their Count. These bureaus can also exist either independently or within a department of public safety (which is an umbrella agency coordinating and/or controlling the various law enforcement agencies) or a District police force (which is a general law enforcement agency).
Some, densely populated Districts, such as Vordarian District or others, have well-organized all-encompassing police corps, while other Districts, less populated, like Vorkosigan District, maintain police services only for major communities, occasionally providing support to minor communities in need.
District Militias[]
The District Militias are preventive District forces responsible for maintaining public order within each District, and are subordinate to the District Count. Although District Militias could trace their origins back to the immediate aftermath of the planetary unification, or even at the time of the Independent Counts, they were established in their current form following the great turmoil of 2960s in order to deploy a territorial militia to crack down limited insurgencies without calling the standing Imperial Service and they are authorized under specific Emperor's Decrees. Each District has its own District Militia, with different formations, rules and uniforms. The Militias are distinct from the Internal Troops, which collaborate with, and Service Security; the District Militias are also reserve troops and ancillary forces of the Imperial Service: in time of war or other emergencies the Militias can be absorbed back into Imperial service, under the supervision of the Service Security, which is in charge of conducting control activities. Most Militias are organized as ground units, but air and naval units also exist. When on Imperial duty, jurisdiction for crimes against civilians is within military courts; when they are on District duty, the jurisdiction is within District Courts.
The function of the District Militias is to serve as a conspicuous public order force: the District Militias of any state are organized as a military force and have a military-based rank structure. Training is weighted more heavily toward riot control and rural manhunt matters, but counterinsurgency training is also carefully included. Arms and equipment of state forces include machine guns and armoured cars, in addition to other items generally associated with police.
The District Militias, ancillary forces and Imperial Service reserve, are subordinate to the District Counts for all their duties. District Militias are often commanded by honourably retired military officers originating from the District, but that is not strictly mandatory; being legally authorized military (or at least paramilitary, for the stablest Districts) formations, both High and lesser Vors can serve within them without facing any treason charge. The Commandant of a District Militia is usually a Colonel, and the District is usually divided into regions. District Militias are often organized into Battalions or Squadrons, Companies or Troops, platoons, and subdivided into Squads. Major units are based in major urban centres, and their companies and platoons are distributed according to population density.
Special ranks of District Militias[]
District Militias are always commanded by a Colonel, but often they are by far larger than a Regiment ever could be. Therefore, top ranks (Commandant, Deputy Commandant and Chief of Staff) are still considered as Colonel, but enjoy of a superior position than "ordinary" colonels which could be present in the District Militia.
When absorbed back into the Imperial Service, "special" Colonels are considered as mere Colonels.
Law enforcement on Komarr[]
Policing on Komarr conducted at three different levels: planetary, sectoral and Dome level. Every Sector has their own nomenclature for agencies, and their responsibilities and funding varies from Sector to Sector, as every Dome has their own Security Service, although all three levels are gathered into the Komarran Security Forces, which provide to funding and general management of common resources, such as personal equipment, or heavy weaponry. The whole security system is overseen, managed and run by the Komarran Security Department, a branch within the Komarran Corporate Board, alongside the Komarran Immigration Services.
Rank structure[]
The Komarran Security Force uses a standardised set of ranks in all its levels of service. The various levels - planetary, sectoral and local - are symbolized by the secondary and piping colour, on the blue uniform:
- Planetary service: Yellow (Orange in formal wear)
- Sectoral service: Red
- Dome service: Green
Planetary Police Service[]
Planetary Police Service is the planetary branch of Komarran Security Forces; "The Police Service", as it is also known, possesses full imperial authority as given to them, gathering all law enforcement departments with planetary jurisdiction. PPSK officers are authorized to enforce various laws not only at the planetary level, but also imperial, state, sector and Dome in many circumstances. It is keen to note that civilian space stations and crimes and offences committed in the planetary system are under Planetary Police Service jurisdiction.
All PPSK departments are limited to investigating only matters that are explicitly within the power of the planetary government.
The Imperial Counsellor Department of Justice and Public Order is responsible for the law enforcement duties at the planetary level, although the planetary government does not exercise general police powers, but only planetary-level police matters. If a non-planetary crime is committed in a Sector and the fugitive does not flee the Sectoral lands invading the terraforming or planetary lands, the planetary government has no jurisdiction. However, once the fugitive crosses a Sectoral, Terraforming or Planetary-reserved boundary is subject to planetary jurisdiction.
The PPSK directs and manages the Internal Troops Komarran Garrison, which in turn is responsible for Police Tactical Groups.
Police Tactical Groups[]
Police tactical groups (PTGs) are part of the 2977 General Anti-Terrorism Plan which requires the Komarran Corporate Board police force to maintain its own specialised counter-terrorist and hostage rescue units alongside the Internal Troops. The Police tactical groups are established in order to prevent any general rebellion and the intervention of military forces. The PTGs are a paramilitary complex, made of small independent units (one Police Tactical Group every major Dome, which serves also neighbouring Domes) which are trained to conduct urban guerilla warfare. In case of war, they are transferred from Komarran Security Forces to the Imperial Service.
PTGs are police assault units established to respond to high-risk situations which are beyond the scope or capacity of everyday policing. PTG officers directly support operational police in incidents such as sieges with specialist tactical, negotiation, intelligence and command support services.
Sectoral Police Services[]
All Sectors operate sector-wide police forces. They may are called "Police Service - SECTOR NAME". Sector police are a police body unique to each Sector, having sector-wide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations. In general, they perform functions outside the jurisdiction of the Dome Security Office, such as overseeing the security of the Sector capitol complex, protecting the Imperial Sector Representative and local officials, training new officers for local Dome police forces, providing technological and scientific support services, and helping to coordinate multi-jurisdictional task force activity.
Dome police[]
Dome police have dome-wide jurisdiction. They provide the full spectrum of police services to the entire Dome and its nearest territory. Dome police forces, named in several ways, have primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within their own Dome. Because Domes are often huge cities, Dome police forces have a broad array of specialized services. However, political security is strictly carried out by ImpSec, which acts separately from Dome Police corps.
Private security[]
While the general and overall security is one of the primary tasks of the Komarran Corporation, the company has always been common security and intelligence structures set up by private individuals. The Corporation is the main actor in the security field, but there are no obstacles to the existence of private security structures governed by the law: the structures of private security are economic entities that provide complementary services and subordinates than those offered by the Corporation.
The main administrative authority is the Private Security Department, with planet-wide jurisdiction. At the Department are established:
- The Planetary Register of Private Security Agents;
- The Technical Committee of Examiners;
- The Administrative Office.
The profession of Private Security Agent is reserved for subjects of the empire, which can demonstrate the suitability of psycho-physics, which have not been convicted for violent crimes and that they enable the use of stun guns. The private security agent has to choose between the four allowed qualifications: Private Security Officer, Private Security Guard, Private Protection Officer and Private Investigation Officer.
The Private security agents conduct their business by making use of the uniform approved by the Administrative Office. These uniforms follow the same pattern and the same cut, but differ in the directions of personal identification and the institution for which the activity is pursued. During the conduct of anti-theft services, agents are exempt from having to wear the uniform.
Planetary Register[]
Operators who are listed in the Planetary Register are admitted to practice all over the planet based on the qualification obtained. Access is subject to the passing of the relevant planetary successful examination at the Technical Committee of Examiners.
The Central Supervisory Board, the Sector Supervisory Boards and the Dome Supervisory Boards are responsible for verifying the eligibility conditions and the administrative proper operation and to guard against the improper exercise of the profession of Private Security Agents. The decisions of the Supervisory Boards can be challenged in the hierarchy; against the decision of the planetary council of the professional associations may be submitted to the Komarran Corporate Board.
Technical Committee of Examiners[]
The Technical Commission of Examiners receives applications for admission to the examination required to obtain a qualification and prepares examination sessions at its headquarters. The Commission consists of nine members, each with a professional qualification corresponding to his/her field of the examination.
Administrative Office[]
The Office oversees the administration of all agents listed in the Planetary Register, as well as the activities of all offices and committees that make up the department itself. In particular, it takes care of the Planetary Register and preserves the statutes and regulations of each component of the organ department.
The Administrative Office also provides for the issuance of the Official Badge and print ID cards.
Law enforcement on Sergyar[]
Law enforcement on Sergyar is conducted at the planetary level, and is the responsibility of the Sergyar Police Service. Only certain, designated police officers have the power to conduct criminal investigations, and such investigations are supervised by investigative magistrates. The Sergyar Police Service comes under the jurisdiction of the Home Office of Vice-royalty.
The police is commanded by the Director-General: he is directly in charge of the General Directorate of the Sergyar Police Service.
The police is then sub-divided into directorates:
- Directorate of Administration
- Directorate of Training of the Sergyar Police Service
- Central Directorate of Judicial Police: major criminal investigations
- Itinerant Criminality Struggle Office
- Sub-directorate of forensics.
- Central Directorate of Public Security: uniformed patrol and response
- Intervention Groups of the Sergyar Police Service
- Central Directorate of Border Police: performs identity checks alongside central government structures and struggle illegal immigration
- Central Directorate of the Security Companies: riot police
Internal Troops[]
The Internal Troops, of the Ministry of Interior is a military force, part of the Imperial Service and operationally subordinated to the interior ministry. They are designed to be used to support and reinforce the police forces, deal with large-scale crowd control, internal armed conflicts, prison security and safeguarding of highly-important facilities. As such, the force was involved in all conflicts and violent disturbances. During wartime, the Internal Troops falls under the Imperial Service military command and fulfil the missions of local defence and rear area security. Although they could, in case of strict necessity, act as special teams, they are intended, designed, equipped and trained for urban and security combat.
The use of Internal Troops instead of the Ground Forces in these situations helps to preserve the favourable image of the latter with the population. In addition to these peacetime roles, in time of war they would support front line operations by providing rear security against enemy sabotage, defending supply and communications lines, and operating prisoner-of-war and penal battalions. There are 180 regiments of varying size of Interior Troops, of which 90 are mainly guards of correctional institutions, important public facilities and public order.
Shockstick[]
A shockstick (also commonly known simply as "baton") is a personal, hand-held weapon typically used in police and prisoner situations, being far more painful than deadly. They generally take the form of a silvery rod that produces sparks from its tip, usually about 50 centimetres long, with a grip on one end for comfort. A shockstick comes with multiple power settings, including at least "light" and "heavy". When the end it touched to the victim is causes an energy discharge that results in severe debilitating pain.