Okay, so after discussing things a bit with Nadir, then me, Flak went around and took some suggestions from players in the DEPD for things they'd like to see implemented and/or improved. Flak and I had a chat about it, and here's where we are on the suggested things so far!

1) Case distribution/follow up

Some folks may not know this, but currently police reports are filed on the forums--the DEPD has its own subsection there. If you're having trouble filing a report in the threat, IM me (Ephran Ehrler), and I'll make sure you have the correct permissions.

There is currently a template on the thread that you should use--this will keep things neatly organized so others can read it. If you've got suggestions for improving the way things flow in the reports section of the forums, feel free--I'm considering creating a subdirectory for reports so that each can have its own thread.

2) Advancement/special teams

One of the first questions I always get is, "how can I rank up?" Weeeeeell, let's address that! Previously I've sort of just handed out ranks to folks based on presence and active behavior. I'm low key like that--if you're consistently RPing being a cop, I'm going to reward that. That said, as the DEPD has grown, it might be time to revisit that policy. With that in mind I'm going to start working on some criteria for advancment. Recognizing that we have cops who play on both sides of the law, I'm also going to tailor to that, so you can remain true to your character and still recieve just (or unjust) rewards. 😀

3) Roster

Rosters have actually been implemented in other businesses around town, so I don't see why that can't be implemented in the DEPD as well, if it's something that will be useful!

4) 10 codes

These were requested by a few players, and Flak herself took the liberty of compiling some. They're available on the forums now!

5) Radio/Comm system

Folks have requested a functional radio system. For now we've been using the Law Enforcement group chat for roughly the same function. I can't say that I see an extreme need to break from that, but if you've got good reasons why that might be necessary, feel free to share! Gridtalkie is the system recommended--it's not really cost effective to equip every officer with a 299L item, but I'm sure we can also whip up our own version if it's necessary.

6) Working with Medical personnel

Okay, so it's been brought up that Medical personnel are not so quick to respond these days--there's partly a reason for that, and that's that there's currently no lead for the DEMH. With no direction, it's tough to get active players on hand. That's an ongoing problem with a fix on the horizon, but in the meantime, don't sweat it if a nurse or paramedic doesn't respond to a call--just roll with an NPC.

7) Notice board

Some officers have requested a notice board so that they can keep up with the state of ongoing cases, etc. I refer those folks to the ongoing case thread on the forums. 😉 In the longterm, we're looking at putting some processes into place which will better track that information, but for now, that's what we've got!

8) Activity levels

This one's difficult, because it's not something I can just give you guys. Some officers have requested more presence from the rest of the group as a whole. There are a few cops doing a whooooole lot, and many, many more who aren't nearly as active. Those of you who haven't been as active, this entire thread's for you! Feel free to suggest things that draw your interest, and things that'll do a good job of making you want to hang around. We're all about getting people involved!

So, that's the list so far--feel free to weigh in on any of these, or submit your own suggestions!