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Question about FBI, state and local police resources


rsanford

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Hi all,

I am about to run Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home and the players will be playing as FBI agents and private investigators. Had a few questions:

1.      What sidearm do FBI agents carry?

2.      Do they have shotguns in the back of their cars like county police?

3.      Do FBI and state police have laptops mounted in their cars? What kind of functions do they serve? I assume they can look up license plate numbers; can they look up driver license numbers as well? Can they access other databases? Can they issue All Point Bulletins (APBs) or is that something only dispatchers can do?

4.      Do FBI and state and local police share the same radio frequencies or channels? If not can FBI, state and local police talk to one another on car radios?

5.      What does it take to authorize a FBI or state police helicopter to look for someone?

6.      What does it take to authorize a telephone bug, or to place a listening device in a room? What does it take to place a tracking device in someone’s car?

7.      Can a FBI agent call for state or local police backup?

8.      What other abilities and resources do law enforcement professionals have access to?

9.      How much can a FBI player get away with (in terms of the above) if he doesn’t care about consequences?

Thanks!

PS – I am posting this to yog-sothoth, RPGPUB and BRP Central…

Check out our homebrew rules for freeform magic in BRP ->

No reason for Ars Magica players to have all the fun!

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I am assuming present day based on your computer questions. 

 

1.      What sidearm do FBI agents carry? 

I think at this point they are back to 9mm Para as standard, but I expect you can still find a number of .40 cals in use. The FBI has gone through a variety of sidearms since the 1980s. I think 9mm and .40 cal Glocks have been the most common in recent years. I understand most Federal agencies do allow some personal choice, so not out of the question to find another modern semi-auto pistol in one of those calibers.  

 

2.      Do they have shotguns in the back of their cars like county police?

Yes, Shotguns or 5.56mm carbines (AR-15 based) are available. Don't know if special issue only when there is a need, such as serving a warrant or stakeout or standard issue. For an RPG I would assume available if the players want them. FBI also has special tactical teams so there may be more exotic weapons available, SMGs, sniper rifles etc to those with the proper qualifications / access. 

 

3.      Do FBI and state police have laptops mounted in their cars? What kind of functions do they serve? I assume they can look up license plate numbers; can they look up driver license numbers as well? Can they access other databases? Can they issue All Point Bulletins (APBs) or is that something only dispatchers can do?

The computer largely provides internet access, and email to do the stuff anybody uses a computer for. Most of the information you list would be requested through a dispatch center, not accessed directly. Due to privacy concerns there are strict rules about releasing personal information, regular law enforcement definitely has to go through dispatch, and I expect an FBI agent would as well. 

However dispatchers can send and receive email, so in effect yes they can look this kind of stuff up, but someone else (dispatch center) will know and it will take a few minutes.

They will have access to APBs, most wanted lists and such as updates will be sent out daily (in the old days hardcopies would have been handed out in the morning to carry in the patrol car). Dispatchers will update officers in the field of any new APBs or BOLOs that may be of interest to them. APBs and BOLOs can be requested by an officer / agent through their dispatch which then forwards it to what ever system they are a part of / being requested for (State / Federal systems).      

 

4.      Do FBI and state and local police share the same radio frequencies or channels? If not can FBI, state and local police talk to one another on car radios?

Generally each agency will have their own frequencies to operate on, but there are shared frequencies available specifically for multi-agency use and they may have the frequencies for another agency in their radio if they work together often. Modern radios can have hundreds of frequencies stored in them.

 

5.      What does it take to authorize a FBI or state police helicopter to look for someone?

Generally the request will go through a duty officer for approval. It wouldn't normally take much to have the request approved unless it was something weird that makes the duty officer second guess the officers / agent in the field. Availability is another matter, helicopters may not be plentiful and missions will be prioritized.

 

6.      What does it take to authorize a telephone bug, or to place a listening device in a room? What does it take to place a tracking device in someone’s car?

This will typically go in front of a judge who will issue the order if they feel it is a legitimate surveillance. The agents will need to spell out what they expect to find, and have probable cause to support that there is a good reason to believe the individual being monitored is guilty of a crime and the surveillance will uncover evidence of that. It is essentially the same process as obtaining a search warrant. At least in popular fiction judges vary widely on how easily they will issue such an order. 

 

7.      Can a FBI agent call for state or local police backup?

Yes

 

8.      What other abilities and resources do law enforcement professionals have access to?

Different agencies focus on specific types of crimes, so each will be a specialist in their field. The DEA may have information available related to the drug trade that they don't automatically share with other agencies unless requested. A local police department will likely have information on their "regulars" that isn't widely available because how many times are you going to enter minor offenses into the database on a homeless drifter. The better the relationship between the agents and other agencies the more this between the cracks information will be available. FBI agents literally have a nation full of law enforcement officers to look, and listen for them, and to provide info back to them if the right questions are asked.    

 

9.      How much can a FBI player get away with (in terms of the above) if he doesn’t care about consequences?

Kind of a weird question. they can get away with anything until they are caught. An FBI agent has a lot of authority so it is possible they could get away with quite a bit through bluff and personal relationships, but if those don't work or they really cross a line to make people suspect them of wrong doing they could quickly be on the wring end of an investigation.

 

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The FBI specific stuff is just what I have collected from various sources, gun magazines (there have been lots of Guns of the FBI type articles over the years), reading about investigations etc.

I've worked around law enforcement for years and spent 6 months last year working in a dispatch center that included law enforcement so saw first hand how some of that info is requested / provided. 

 

I wouldn't rely on it for a documentary, but it should be close enough for an RPG.  😉

 

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On 5/19/2018 at 3:21 AM, Toadmaster said:

The computer largely provides internet access, and email to do the stuff anybody uses a computer for. Most of the information you list would be requested through a dispatch center, not accessed directly. Due to privacy concerns there are strict rules about releasing personal information, regular law enforcement definitely has to go through dispatch, and I expect an FBI agent would as well. 

Here, it's the opposite. The cruiser laptop (actually a tablet PC with a portable keyboard because they're easier to use than the toughbooks we used to have) is basically a one function computer with our database client and a VPN to an intermediary "switch" at the station, which can grab info from either our local database or pull stuff from the state police system, so they don't need to go through dispatchers.

I know there's been a big push to have compatible radio equipment for all public safety in the state for joint ops. I know our town is updated, but no idea of the overall state. In practice though, frequencies aren't shared in the sense of being able to regularly hear each other's radio chatter or randomly call in assistance.
 

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59 minutes ago, Numtini said:

Here, it's the opposite. The cruiser laptop (actually a tablet PC with a portable keyboard because they're easier to use than the toughbooks we used to have) is basically a one function computer with our database client and a VPN to an intermediary "switch" at the station, which can grab info from either our local database or pull stuff from the state police system, so they don't need to go through dispatchers.

I know there's been a big push to have compatible radio equipment for all public safety in the state for joint ops. I know our town is updated, but no idea of the overall state. In practice though, frequencies aren't shared in the sense of being able to regularly hear each other's radio chatter or randomly call in assistance.
 

 Is "here" USA, or other?

 

So you are saying an officer can directly run wants and warrants on an individual, run vehicle registration etc without going through dispatch? 

 

 

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On 5/20/2018 at 9:46 PM, Toadmaster said:

 Is "here" USA, or other?

So you are saying an officer can directly run wants and warrants on an individual, run vehicle registration etc without going through dispatch? 

Massachusetts. The software includes a VPN between the cruiser and an "agency switch" at the station. There's a second VPN between station and state police CJIS. (Some departments still have an old ISDN between the station and CJIS.) The software is IMC. 

I think the cops are starting to look at me funny over the questions. That was this week. Last week I cornered the chief after a department head meeting to ask about morgue procedure and who would get brought in if a mutilated body was found in the woods.

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Yeah, I imagine those kinds of questions would raise eyebrows... 👾

 

I guess I should have clarified, my comments were based on California. The dispatch office I did a detail in provided services for Federal law enforcement from US Fish and Wildlife and US Forest Service. I know a few local police / sheriff and highway patrol officers and their procedures seem to be very close to what we did.

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