Equip the modern supernatural police officer

[Ace]

That depends on how much magic there is in the world. If half the criminals have spells or supernatural abilities, the regular cops had better be ready to deal with them. If magic is pretty rare then it can be dealt with by "SMAT" teams.

I agree with Len here. It all dependso n the amount of magic and how hidden it is

For a generic setting with spirits, casters, weres, vampires, fae and demons in the open but not super common ala the Anita Blake books I would suggest

.357 revolver (probably a S&W 686+ with 7 seven rounds for luck) with speed loaders -- types of ammo might include steel AP (for Fae or guys in bullet proof vests ) explosive (lead styphenate) or incindiary for lots of stuff, silver (for weres) and of course lead -- Why not an automatic A revolver is more reliable with wierd ammo than an automatic. I am not sure silver bullets would work in a glock at all in fact


Shotgun with lots of wierd payload ammo -- probably a Remington 870P with 8 round tube, and side saddle shell carrier 9and one on the stock too) with two of each round -- optionally a Winchester Defender might be used

Rifle with wierd loads in trunk -- pick 1 -- I suspect a setting with big monsters would upgun to a .308 instead of the standard assault rifle in use now -- a Remington 700BDL or Winchester 70 -- most likely a package deal and fromn the same company the shotgun is from

Charms of various worth -- if mages are not monster only in the setting the guns may be blessed as well with charms for reliability and "not getting stolen"

Salt

"sovereign remedies" -- a little kit of stuff that works in the setting -- I would suggest -- Powdered silver and Wolfsbane (for Weres) Garlic and Concencrated Wafers (for Vamps) Blessed Salt (for Demons) Powederd Iron, Rowan and Red Thread (for Fae) Holy Water 2 vials -- if Holy Water is easy to make and effective -- lots of holy water

Clejuso Super Heavy Restraints -- not on the belt though -- these are to heavy to lug easily

Setting Usefull Holy Symbol

 

[Henry]

I would expect rapid-firing taser-type devices might become more important, because in such a world you want to take down the enemy QUICKLY, especially if they can cast spells. Against anyone with spell abilities, you want them unconscious ASAP, thus taser-type weapons. If magic is available, perhaps the shotguns can fire some sort of non-lethal load that discharges a Sleep effect on contact? I know there are sources of sleep arrows out there...

Failing that, the cops will be carrying ammo that has pre-measured doses of Blue Whinnis Poison, or for really tough foes, Purple Worm Poison, Insanity Mist (in tear-gas bombs and the like) or Terinav root. The real reason cops don't carry poison in real life is that you don't have poisons that are guaranteed NOT to kill innocents.

 

[TonyLB]

A quick point to bear in mind here: Weight and bulkiness. Police officers (and their departments) will pay good money to reduce either one by as much as a few ounces. Those guys carry a LOT of stuff, and when the weight gets too much they're tempted to leave things behind. You don't want your officers leaving things behind that they might need when the worst-case scenario emerges.

So, if you think you might need silver bullets, why carry anything else? A silver-alloy bullet will do a darn fine job of putting down a normal criminal. Just carry clips of those. It costs a little more, but not near as much as death benefits for the poor putz who was trying to switch clips when the werewolf ripped his throat out.

OC spray would be made with holy water in the base. Think someone's a vamp? Hose 'em down (in the standard OC-spray crucifix, from their forehead down the chest, then up and horizontally across the line of the eyes). Why would you care which active agent is making them scream in agony, as long as it gets the job done?

Likewise, I think the Miranda Rights would be reworded so that they included counter-charms. Heck, you're going to be saying it anyway. "The Eye of Horus compels you. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. By the Seal of Solomon, thy witchcraft be turned back against thee. If you cannot afford an attorney...."

Efficiency. Always efficiency.

Plus, I think there's fun to be had by inserting all the counter-supernatural stuff down to the low levels that the officers are dealing with on a daily basis. Reminds everyone playing them that this is wierd and spooky but also their job, sometimes boring and routine.

 

[jasper]

bad boys .. bad boys what you going to when they come for you...
Paladin patrol any one?
The badge will probably be enchanted with some minor spells and defensives.
The baton will probably have a holy weapon on it
hmmm can't think of any more

 

[IcyCool]

The stick-up guy at the 7-11 is incorporeal.

How does he carry away the cash, I wonder?

 

[Rel]

Likewise, I think the Miranda Rights would be reworded so that they included counter-charms. Heck, you're going to be saying it anyway. "The Eye of Horus compels you. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. By the Seal of Solomon, thy witchcraft be turned back against thee. If you cannot afford an attorney...."

I'll note that in the aforementioned Anita Blake books, due process is suspended in the case of supernatural creatures who are deemed to have committed a crime. The theory is that it would be deadly to the police and bystanders to attempt to apprehend them and could be almost impossible to hold them once caught. Plus, in the case of Vampires, you're already dead so your legal rights are very much in question. So, if a judge signs a death warrant for you then that's it. A Vampire Hunter (or whoever is appropriate) will hunt you down and kill you asap. And these Vampire Hunter types tend to use the most expedient means necessary and don't fight fair.

Most commonly they'll find out where the vampire rests during the day and go stake them and chop off their heads. Or, as Anita Blake was fond of doing, a shotgun loaded with silver shot in the mouth and heart (silver is anathema to both Werewolves and Vampires in that world). On some occasions it was deemed too dangerous to go into the vampire's lair and they just burned the whole damn building down.

 

[Len]

How does he carry away the cash, I wonder?

Ghost-touch knapsack.

 

[TonyLB]

Rel: Sure. I'll buy that. But you could still justify threading those things into the Miranda (if it served your creative purposes) for the same reason that the Miranda rights are frequently given to people who are pressed face-down on the ground: you simply don't know what you're dealing with at the time of arrest. Better to put 99 non-violent perps into an arm-bar than to take a knife in the chest from the hundredth who happens to be in a squirrely mood even though he looks and acts identical to the other 99.

Likewise, better to spout some mesopotamian jibber-jabber at 99 totally mundane perps than to not have a ward up on the hundredth perp who happens to be... sheesh... whoever/whatever, even though he looks and acts identical to the other 99.

 

[Rel]

Rel: Sure. I'll buy that. But you could still justify threading those things into the Miranda (if it served your creative purposes) for the same reason that the Miranda rights are frequently given to people who are pressed face-down on the ground: you simply don't know what you're dealing with at the time of arrest. Better to put 99 non-violent perps into an arm-bar than to take a knife in the chest from the hundredth who happens to be in a squirrely mood even though he looks and acts identical to the other 99.

Likewise, better to spout some mesopotamian jibber-jabber at 99 totally mundane perps than to not have a ward up on the hundredth perp who happens to be... sheesh... whoever/whatever, even though he looks and acts identical to the other 99.

I hope I didn't give the impression that I didn't like the updated Miranda idea. I thought it was neat. I just wanted to mention that another possibility would be that the police might "shoot first and Mirandize later" when it came to the supernatural. I suspect that in such a world the general population (and their elected legislators) would grant the police a bit more latitude in how they handled arrests in general and those involving the supernatural in particular.

I guess I think that if the papers were filled each week with a list of the policemen who were ripped to shreds by some werewolf or vampire, folks (and the legal system) would be more forgiving of the cops when they said, "The kid was decked out in black, had on white makeup and was wearing false teeth. When he rushed at us with his fingers in the shape of claws, we shot his ass dead."

 

[William Ronald]

Here are some ideas.

Religious symbols: These do not need to be large, and can be worn around the neck. So, a cross, a Star of David, or other signal might be small enough to carry and still be effective. This will cut down on the weight issue.

Stakes: Always useful for vampires.

Flares: Flares or other light generating devices might be useful against some creatures.

Tanglefoot bags: This D&D staple would work well, along with anything that can immobolize an opponent. Tasers might work, but it might be possible to come up with something to restrain people quickly.

If the officers can have lap top computers, possibly it would have a link to a police database on supernatural opponents and countermeasures.