New Man's Guide to Security

[Medi]

This is a comprehensive guide for the new player who wants to start playing security without becoming too overwhelmed when starting. There are a lot of things to know in regards to positions, best practices, equipment, etc. So, for the sake of brevity, this guide will only address the core basics of most things as to stay relevant for the longest time possible.

Table of Contents:
1. Security Roles and Duties
2. Security Equipment
3. Basics of Law and SOP
4. How to Arrest / Brig
5. FAQ / Understanding Advanced Concepts

 

 

SECURITY ROLES AND DUTIES

 

Security Officers

  

 

The basic security officer is primarily responsible for actually patrolling, arresting, and responding to threats appropriately. They are given their authority via Space Law, Security SOP, and Legal SOP. It should be mentioned that they are far from all powerful and are held to the standards outlined in those same guidelines. As a new member of security, you should start out here and become proficient in this job prior to branching off and joining other jobs (except for Detective). 

 

Detective

This is a rather interesting role within security as they are responsible for using their Forensic Analyzer (see gear section for more details) to help security figure out who committed crimes. Additionally, they are charged with launching investigations that are a breach of Space Law and may require someone to be jailed. By default the detective actually does NOT have the authority to make arrests per SOP unless it is a matter of life or death. Don't get confused, just because you work for security does not make you a security officer, as such, you should not be attempting to do their jobs. You are there to assist them and in times of dire need, only then can you expect to potentially get in on the action. NOTE: You are the only one who spawns with a .38 with rubber rounds as well as a shoulder holster. The shoulder holster accepts the .38 as well as tazers. You can holster and unholster such weapons from and to your hand with the hotkey "H".

Security Pod Pilot

The Security Pod Pilot is given an armed space pod that is plated to give resistance against damage. The pod is armed with disabler and can be re-equipped with lethal lasers should the situation require it. Outside of piloting duties, the security pod pilot acts much like a regular security officer in that they are permitted to make arrests and patrol as they deem fit. The cost to play this role is currently 30 Karma points.

 

Brig Physician

The Brig Physician is a great role for those who enjoy medical but want a different flavor of it. The Brig Physician is in no way permitted to operate as a security officer yet they are given access to security areas as a way to help treat wounded officers and prisoners. Understand that unlike a regular doctor you have two additional requirements: 1. To be cautious with prisoners as they will want to kill you for your ID and subsequent access. 2. You have to pretty much build up Brig bay yourself to have scanners and gain the means of preforming surgery. It's unlocked for 5 Karma points.

Warden

The warden is labeled as a "Very Difficult" role to play and for a good reason. They are the ones primarily responsible for actually brigging, overseeing the armory and weapons distribution to security, and maintaining the integrity of security's brigs / cell systems. This job REQUIRES a strong knowledge of Space Law, Security SOP, and Legal SOP as it is the basis for how you will go about determining who gets brigged for how long and where. This includes working with short term and long term prisoners as well as knowing when people cannot be safely briged at all. Additionally, you are considered the "second in command" of Security thus you are required to have a strong understanding of not only your job but everyone's job as to effectively lead them. It is advised that you play several shifts in the fields of Security Officer and Detective prior to becoming the Warden.

 

Head of Security

 

The Head of Security is, as the namesake implies, the leader of security and thus the person with the highest amount of responsibilities and the highest amount of authority.  You report to the Captain and Central Command but are under the magistrate's purview like everyone else when it comes to Space Law. You are also the third in line for the captain's chair if the Head of Personnel (HOP) goes missing. It is highly advised that you have no less then 20 hours minimum prior to even looking at attempting this job. Additionally, you should have spent a few shifts as both Security Officer and Warden at least prior to attempting this job.

 

 

 

SECURITY EQUIPMENT

The title of this section is also a hyperlink to the actual Security Items wiki. Rather then go line for line about what each object does, I am going to more over go over the proper use and function of items that you will typically interact with as a member of security. Bare in mind that I won't cover armor or worn equipment aside from the Security HUD as I feel they don't really warrant a lot of explanation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE DISABLERS, TASERS, OR STUN BATONS ON NON-HUMANOIDS ESPECIALLY AS THEY ARE IMMUNE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STUN, TASER, OR FLASH SPIDERS, XENOS, OR OTHER CREATURES LIKE THAT AS THEY WILL SIMPLY LAUGH AT YOU WHILE RIPPING YOUR FACE OFF. YOU ARE TO KILL THESE CREATURES ON SIGHT INSTEAD, DON'T TRY TO STUN AND ARREST THEM.

 

Stun Baton

The ultimate symbol of space justice, this device is capable of emitting a very strong shock when applied to organic humanoids that will stun them on the ground long enough for you to apply handcuffs or zip restraints. To activate the device, hold it in hand and hit Z or Y (use / activate hotkeys) to enable it, you should hear it buzz to life. Be aware of your Intent. You SHOULD be on HELP intent when using this device to bring someone into custody. If activated, it will both stun and harm someone if you are on other intents which WILL get you into trouble if you're doing it in the wrong situation. However, for situations in which you are dealing with subjects who you need to dispatch, it's a very good if not powerful tool to use against someone's head to cave it in. Times you will use it to attempt to kill persons include: Syndicate Nuclear Operatives, Wizards, Non-Organic/Non-Humanoid Antagonists such as spiders and blobs, Pirates, Ashwalkers, Syndicate Traitors with Holoparasites, Changelings, Empowered Vampires, etc. The common theme here is that you cannot arrest / contain these creatures or lack an obligation to do so.

 

Hybrid Taser

The "Hybrid" aspect of the Hybrid Taser refers to its unique function of being able to switch between Taser and Disabler mode by using the activation key (z/y). In Taser mode, the device will appear yellow along the top as shown in the picture and will fire a single, powerful stun that will instantly down most humanoids for more then enough time to advance and arrest them. The downside to this mode is that it has a very slow firing rate and takes a few seconds to charge again before the next taser round is able to be fired, thus making it a mode very reliant on your ability to aim and anticipate your targets movements. The second mode is disabler mode which will make the device appear to be blue on top instead of yellow. In this mode, the device will fire blue beams that drain the target's stamina when they make contact. Unlike the taser, it takes multiple disabler shots to take down a standard person however each successful shot will actually make the target progressively slower as their stamina is sapped. Additionally, unlike the taser you can fire the disabler rather rapidly making it a better choice for those who are unsure how well they will hit their target or if their target is very fast/mobile. Note that people will automatically start recovering from stamina damage over time if not given more damage to their stamina.

 

Rechargers

Perhaps one of the most important pieces of equipment that are actually on the station. Rechargers come in two varieties, wall mounted ones like those next to the armory entrance door, and those that are small semi-portable ones like in the picture. Rechargers accept energy based weapons such as stun batons, tasers, energy guns, laser guns, and more and apply power to them to refill the internal batteries. You will know that the charger is done charging when it starts flashing yellow. Additionally, you can move non-wall mounted ones via a wrench, note that they must be wrenched in place prior to being used.

 

Flash

Flashes are extremely effective weapons against those who lack eye protection or against machine enemies such as Cyborgs as it overloads their sensors and stuns them. Note that there are some races such as the Vulpkanin and Kidians who have very sensitive eye-sight and it is considered cruel and sometimes punishable to use them against them due to this as you will always cause eye damage when you use this device, it just hurts them more then others. To use this device, stand right next to your target with it in hand and left click on them.

 

Pepper Spray

Like flashes, stuns targets who are not wearing appropriate eye protection. Unlike flashes that can go through most eyewear, any eye/headwear tends to block this effect and as such its very situational. The advantage of using this device is that it can be used more then a flash, it can be refilled unlike a flash, and can be be devastating to groups of people. Use of this device is the same as a flash yet can be deployed while aiming at a floor rather then a specific individual.

 

Flashbangs

Small grenades that emit bright flashes of light and sound and will down targets for a short time. Note that the down time on flashbangs is actually relatively short thus it is advised that if you manage to use this against an uncooperative target you rush them immediately with a followup stun from a device like a stun-baton. Note that using flashbangs inappropriately can and will get  you reprimanded or fired. To use the device, hold in hand and activate. You will automatically have thrown turned on when this happens, thus you can simply left click in the direction you wish to toss it.

 

Handcuffs

Handcuffs are an EXTREMELY important tool to understand how to use properly. Handcuffs are the reusable version of Zipcuffs, this comes with advantages and disadvantages. Handcuffs will last you the entire shift and so long as you keep up with them and don't leave them on someone or laying somewhere, they're your trusty restraint system. The downside is that they lack the ability to distinguish between good and bad guys, thus the badguy can steal handcuffs from you if you leave them on them and use them on you or other targets later. To use handcuffs, stand next to your target with handcuffs in hand and left click on them, this will start a small countdown timer and will give a rather loud sound and chat notice. Once in restraints, the subject will drop whatever they were holding in their hands and will be unable to activate things around them but can run into doors to escape. It is advised that you drag them around IMMEDIATELY by control + left clicking them. You can also restrain people to chairs, beds, and pipes by dragging a restrained persons sprite over the target, left clicking the subject-holding-dragging-and releasing the left click over the item you're wanting to restrain them to. This adds another layer of security as it is something else they have to break out of prior to breaking out of handcuffs. Subjects can Resist to break out of handcuffs and will succeed after about a minute of not moving (hotkey B) thus you can stop them by simply moving them for a brief moment or interrupting them with a stun.

To remove handcuffs from someone, left click and drag their sprite to your sprite while standing close to them. This will open their inventory interface. At the bottom you will see "Handcuffed" left click that and you will start to remove them.

 

NOTE: If you choose to restrain someone to a bed while setting up their brig cell charges via the computer outside the cell please make sure that you recover your cuffs. You can do this by having your baton activated and in hand, removing their cuffs, stunning them quickly, and recovering your cuffs prior to leaving. DO NOT LEAVE HANDCUFFS ON PEOPLE OR THEY WILL BREAK OUT OF THEM EVENTUALLY AND USE THEM ON YOU LATER.

NOTE: KEEP A PAIR OF HANDCUFFS IN YOUR POCKET! The longer it takes for you to reach and grab your handcuffs the higher the chance someone gets up and beats you to death. Do NOT keep your handcuffs in your bag, belt, and especially not in a box within your bag as this takes WAY too long to reach.

Zipties

Function the exact same as a pair of handcuffs but are not reusable. Once they are removed from the suspect they will be "cut" and unusable again. You cannot make them re-usable so do not waste the time and effort in trying.

 

Security HUDs

These stylish glasses will act as not only protection against flashes and pepperspray (provided that you get one that have BOTH lenses) but also allows you to see people's jobs as listed on their IDs as well as their wanted status. Rather then going through what all the icons will look like for jobs, just go around the station and learn by shift + left clicking on people to examine them and their jobs. Note that if they are not wearing an ID it will show up as a black box with a question mark in the middle of it. Note that if they are not wearing an ID and disguising themselves with a mask, you will not get a notice of their wanted status.

If someone is wanted there will be a giant red "W" below their job indicator, meaning this person has a warrant for their arrest. If they have a grey X they're set for execution and if the situation calls, use lethal force against them. If they have an orange "P" they're a prisoner, and if they're outside of the brig you should probably arrest them. If they have a blue "R" they were released from jail after serving time.

 

How do I see if someone's wanted? Can I see why someone is wanted?
The answer to both is YES!

 

Shift left click on someone to examine them, you'll see something come up that looks like this, the name of the person was removed for their protection.

Notice at the bottom we see "Criminal Status, Security Records, Physical Status, and Medical records*. 
Criminal Status refers to their warrant status, in this case this person is set to arrest. If they were not wanted previously it would show "NONE" instead. We can edit their criminal status by left clicking that option which will bring up a screen that allows us to set their wanted status to whatever we see the need to do. Note that after setting their status you'll be prompted to type a reason, this is important to do as we'll see in the next couple of steps.

 

Below "Criminal Status" is "Security Records". If we want to see WHY she is set to arrest, we're going to need to check there to see what's up. When we click on the "View" next to the "Security Records" option we'll get a chat notice that looks like this:

Above we see details of their major and minor crimes. Under the Minor and Major Crimes and their details, officers who are sitting at a Security Records Computer can edit that information to reflect Why a subject was previously arrested. Whoever set this noted that they had an EMP kit but didn't elaborate in the details. Under that you see "NOTES" this is flavor text that can be added by the actual player of that character.

As you notice we STILL don't see WHY they are set to "Arrest' so to find that let's keep digging, only option is "View Comment Log". When we hit that we get this little box:

Ah ha, we can see the officer who set it, when they set it, and why they set it per the comment box they filled out at that time. In this case, they were a suspected Enemy of the Corporation, thus someone who is highly dangerous and will likely end up in perma brig.

 

 

Basics of Law and SOP

As previously mentioned, Sec have not one, not two, but three guidelines that govern their actions and authority. That is Space Law, Security SOP, and Legal SOP.

Space law, describes the laws and conditions for various laws to have been broken on the station as well as the time and consideration aspects that come with said charge. Each part of Space Law is assigned a 3 part number such as 103 which is the code for Drug Possession. This is an extremely important number for a lot of reasons as it tells you a lot about the charge itself. The first number is a one, denoting the severity of the crime where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the absolute highest. The next two numbers denotes the Classification of that crime, as such all 03 related offenses are drug offenses where the only difference is severity. 

Space Law comes with a very good Quick Reference that shows this concept very well.
 

 

Top of the table shows the level of the crime while the side of the table relates to the TYPE of crime, this is important to understand for a concept known as Crime Stacking which is a no-go. A person cannot be charged for something that shares the same CATEGORY of charge, regardless of the changes in SEVERITY. For example, you cannot charge someone with Petty Theft, Robbery, Theft, and Grand Theft (as they are all the same category since they share the last two numbers) at the same time, but you can charge someone for Indecent exposure, Abuse of Confiscated Equipment, and Theft (as they don't share the last two numbers).

To understand more about Space Law, you NEED to read it at some point prior to playing Security as it's both impossible and impractical for me to outline all the details within it.

 

Security SOP, like all departmental SOPs, describes the standards by which a person in a specific job is expected to respond to a change in the Alert Level of the station. These are also reflected to a degree in the "General SOP" area. It's important for you to read and understand these concepts as they are essentially the protocol you're expected to uphold based on the current alert level. This means that on code RED you are authorized to randomly search people but on code GREEN you can't even arrest someone without first speaking to them. You NEED to understand the difference in what you can and cannot do.

Legal SOP is a bit special in that it described the methods and procedures for appropriately tossing someone in jail for short term, permanently, or executing them in a lawful manner. Security can, has been, and will be held responsible for illegal executions. Just because you have the power to do so doesn't mean you can kill people whenever and wherever you like. Even if someone is slotted for execution, they're due a proper execution via proper means such as the electric chair, lethal injection, or some other means. Read and understand Legal SOP as it pertains to your situation. Unlike most SOP, this one is the most strictly followed due to the gravity of what it deals with. Deviation from Legal SOP is generally seen as a one-way ticket to demotion, jail, or your own execution.

 

How to Arrest / Brig

As mentioned above, your methodology for arresting someone will largely depend on the current alert level and the nature of why they're being arrested. In this section we're going to break this down into a simplified checklist that will hopefully give you a guideline as to how to address a situation in the best manner possible. 

 

1. Identify the wanted person.
2. If time permits, check why they are wanted. See above for how to do that via the Sec HUD.
3. Radio for backup/call out the location of the arrest. It's more important to do this then to rush into the arrest due to the fact that if you fail and they get the upper hand, you've got no backup coming. It's worth taking a moment to do this for your own safety. Even something as simple as "BACKUP MEDBAY" in sec comms is effective.
4. If time and situation permits, make initial contact with the person via speaking. If the person is running away, resisting, fighting back, or has killed people already you may wish to take a more aggressive approach to them.
5. If they are compliant, every attempt possible should be made to take them to security without handcuffs on unless the alert level or situation requires it. If you had to stun the person, you should be applying your handcuffs as soon as they are stunned. Proceed to then left control + left click drag them towards processing.
6. Buckle them to a chair and open their inventory. Based on the current threat and their charges, you should conduct a reasonably through search of their person to include: headset (traitors especially), PDAs (Traitors especially), pockets, bags, jackets, boxes within bags, eyewear, masks, etc.
7. Take note of any contraband items OR items that were used in a crime. Despite items such as tools being legal, if they were used in a crime such as Breaking and Entering, they are to be confiscated in the same manner as contraband.
8. Take them to their appropriate cell. We will not discuss Perma brig protocol as it is well discussed in Legal SOP. Proceed to then take the cuffed subject and buckle them to the bed and exit the room.
9. On the walls outside of the cell you will find a black screen, left click on it to open the cell computer. The first thing you enter is the TIME you plan to brig them for based on Space Law and modifiers or Magistrate direction.
10. Proceed to Activate the cell, this will prompt you for the subject's Name and what they are wanted for. If you did it correctly, they're status should automatically be shifted to "Prisoner".
11. Re-enter the cell and recover your handcuffs. If the subject is violent, consider stunning them, removing the cuffs, stunning them again, recover the cuffs, and quickly exit while they are still stunned.
12. Update the records by hand via a Security Records Terminal IF they're missing a record.

 

FAQ / Advanced Concepts

I and other mentors / Sec-Mains will try to provide answers to FAQs as we get them. Some of the biggest I will go ahead and address if I can:

Q: How do I silence my boots?
A: Use tape on your jackboots, you don't even have to take them off. This will immediately silence them and make it so that badguys stop knowing where you are before you even see them.

Q: Can other members of the crew help Security?
A: Only on specific occasions such as massive threats to the station such as Blobs, Nukies, Wizards, etc. Things such as Vampires, Traitors, and Changelings should be left to Security to Hunt. If you see someone being attacked or You are being attacked, you are always in the right for defending yourself/others you are witnessing being attacked with the amount of force necessary to FLEE. You should NOT attempt to kill the antagonist if it can be helped as that is NOT your job.

Q: Can Security use confiscated items?
A: The only item they are allowed to use per Space Law is the Syndicate Encryption Key to help listen for and identify other traitors. All other traitor items/gear is contraband, even to Sec.

Q: Can the IAA / Magistrate Order Sec around?
A: No, not really. The IAA especially have no control over security and are there as advisory roles at best. They're there to make sure they remain neutral to the entire case and approach it from the direction of fairness to SOP and Space Law, not whatever would be in the best interest of Sec, NT, or the subject involved. The Magistrate has the power and ability to overrule even the captain in matters of Space Law but ONLY space law. The magistrate CANNOT order security officers to do anything other then arrest and brig people, they cannot order the warden to open the armory nor could they order the HOS to break the law.

Q: When does the armory open up?
A: The armory is open, per SOP, during times when Security requires lethal solutions to their problems. Such times include: Wizards, Blobs, Xenomorphs, Empowered Vampires, Syndicate Nukies, Aggressive Traitors, etc.

Q: What's the Ion Rifle for?
A: The Ion rifle does component damage rather then burn/toxin/brute/suffocation damage, thus it is only good against borgs and synthetic targets. When it hits, it bursts and will disable electronics around that zone approximately 1 tile. This means that it will disable headsets, internal synthetic organs, robotic limbs, cameras, etc - So please be careful!

Q: What weapons are good for what?
A: Understanding your threat is important for this question. Due to their composition, blobs are inherently weak to burn damage however they have a special thing called Reflective blobs which can Bounce laser / energy based weaponry back at the source, thus using something like shotguns that are Projectile based damage are a lot SAFER option despite being a bit weaker against them. Additionally, flashbangs are extremely effective against blobs and will destroy multiple tiles of blobs if they're weakened, just an additional tip.
Projectile based weaponry are also preferred against E-Sword users, such as nukies and traitors. The reasoning is that an e-sword has a 100% chance to reflect energy based weapons back to the source in the direction that they are facing but only have about a 70% chance to deflect projectiles. Thus, it's a safer alternative when you can't sneak up on your target.
Against all other station threats laser weapons have a lot more advantages on top of their ability to be recharged.

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Medi

[x31stOverlord]

Quite a good guide! I think it is definitely helpful for newer people to get into security.

 Perhaps it would be an idea to add a section explaining tracker implants/mindshield implants as they appear on the HUD and what they mean! Especially as in certain antag rounds having that knowledge that another Sec officer is no longer mind shielded could be the difference between stopping it and being beaten to death/converted in maintenance by a sec member 

[McRamon]

A few useful tips:

 

1) in a box with oxygen tank and mask there is enough espace to add extra items. Good idea would be (depending on your race): splints and medications, welder and wires if you are an ipc, crowbar for power outage events. You can get very creative with it.

2) style is everything. If you are a generic looking officer with mask and helmet on green alert level, people outside of sec will less likely cooperate with you. 

3) dont assume that after a couple of rounds you are a machine of justice, unstoppable and invincible. If you walk around maintenance alone looking for trouble, believe me, you will find it. A lot of people can kill you in a matter of seconds and nobody will even notice you dissapeared from crew monitor. Dont patrols dangerous places like maint with known vampires and lings or posdible cult base alone. Pair up eith another officer or two, security cyborg is even better option.

 

4) oh right, always set suit sensors to maximum! You can do it by rightclicking on your jumpsuit and selecting the sensor option. Even if criminals and punks can now locate you, it means nothing compared to whole security team and cyborgs being able to locate you and help.

5) lategame - as the time passes, there are more powerful tools available for you, especially at rnd. Things you really want - advanced energy gun (AEG) which is like taser, but also has third lethal option and recharges by itself over time, telescopic shield (will give you extra protection, basically like riot shield IIRC, but can be stored in your bag), magboots (so you dont get memed by breaches, also ask science guys for a "slime speed potion" , there is a chance they will give you one. Activate magboots and click with potion on them. Now any slowdown effects is removed, and you are always protected from slips and atmospheric problems (slime speed potion can be used on any other equipment like hardsuit or riot armor)). Different weapons, implants, tools and other useful stuff you can ask from rnd - there is too much to talk about, better play some science rounds to see what can be produced and how it works so you will know what to ask for.

6) bring at least two, better three pairs of cuffs with you. You never know.

7) as a detective you can use screwdriver on your revolver. Now it accepts lethal ammo from autolathe. Keep in mind - you need revolver to be empty from bullets before screwdrivering it, or it will just damage you in the process, and shooting with lethals has a chance of backfiring (instead of shooting, it will explode in your arm, it will damage you and force you to drop the gun) i do not recommend using it, if you need lethals as a detective (for example to fight wizard) better get a normal gun. But there is an option.

 

update security records and add notes to arrested crew, dont be lazy. You can not even imagine how many times i have freely walked out of brig because officers did not communicate and did not have a full picture of my crimes. And i tell you, i was worth if not execution, then at least perma.

9) use screwdriver on stunbaton - it will drop out powercell. Ask science for a best powercell possible, and you might get infinite charge stunbaton. Or at least a stunbaton with extended capacity. Just insert new powercell in it, no need to use tools. 

Ultra, super, hyper capacity or bluespace powercell are what you are looking for. Charged slime core - infinite powercell.

 

 

 

Thats all for now

Edited August 22, 2019 by McRamon