Detective
Security
Detective
- Access: Brig, Detective, Maintenance, Security, Service
- Difficulty: Medium
- Duties: Solve mysteries on the station
- Supervisors: Head of Personnel
- Subordinates: None
- Guides: This is the guide.
A job made for those who love drip and shooting guns at random greytiders.
Just kidding of course, detective is a role set aside for those who want to get to the bottom of mysteries and solve crimes. Detectives are provided with two tools to do their job: the handy forensics scanner, and the forensic pad.
Forensics Scanner: The scanner is your primary tool of the trade. It can interact with essentially any object in the game, from a syndicate minibomb to the captain's locker. To use it simply have the scanner in your hand, and right click the object you wish to scan, selecting the scan option from the verb menu. After a short action bar completes, the forensic scanner will pop up a list which includes the fingerprints and DNA's of everyone that interacted with the scanned object, as well as a separate list of all the glove fibers found on the object. Fingerprints and DNA's are entirely unique with each crewmember having a separate fingerprint and DNA code. Glove fibers are not, and all gloves of the same type will leave the same fibers. The scanner can store the most recently scanned information, or print out copies of the report with the handy button on the scanner allowing the detective to keep copies on file or in inventory while they scan something else.
Forensic Pad: The pad is the second half of your detecting toolkit. Pads are single use items that can be used on either an ungloved suspect, or on a set of gloves. If used on a suspect they provide that suspects unique fingerprint code, which can be used to match with evidence found by the forensics scanner at a crime scene. If used on gloves the forensic pad will instead show the fibers of that specific glove. After using a pad on a target, simply inspect it with shift+left click to read it. A handy trick to use with pads is to scan them with the forensic scanner to make a copy of the information on them, as long as noone else touches them after you use them.
Round Start: So, now you know how to use the tools of your trade. On roundstart or loading in, you must go directly to the detective's office. On most stations, the detective's office is located near security. On some however, you may find your office hidden away far from the main security office. Inside your office you need to go directly to your locker (a brown wardrobe), and collect the gear inside. You will find:
> A trenchcoat, which has some storage space as well as decent damage protection.
> A seclight, which is a very powerful flashlight with a large energy cell, rechargeable at any battery charging station.
> A box of extra forensic pads, take as many as you want (Personally I like to keep 3 on my person).
> The detective's flask, handy for keeping nonalcoholic beverages on you to keep you hydrated when on duty.
> The Inspector, also known as the detective's revolver. This gun is one of a kind, and comes with 6 shells. Additional rounds can be made by the warden. As a gun, it is meant to be used as a last resort, and should never be pulled out except in the direst of circumstances. Improper useage can lead to the HoS calling you into their office where you get called a loose cannon and ordered to turn in your badge and gun.
In addition to the gear in your locker, you will want to get a set of gloves from the nearby detecdrobe so you don't contaminate evidence. You can either get Forensic Gloves (leave no prints, recommended,) black gloves (which leave the same fibers as the gloves most of the rest of security wears,) white latex gloves (which leave the same fibers as most doctors wear.)
After equipping yourself from your office you will also want to head to the security office and collect a stun baton for use in nonlethal arrests, as well as several sets of handcuffs so you can arrest suspects.
Another helpful setup move would be to go to the HoP office to request some permissions. At a bare minimum, you will need exterior access, in case you ever need to chase a suspect into space. In addition it is helpful to request medical access so you can go to the morgue or the cloning area to inspect dead bodies and arrest newly cloned syndicate agents (syndies).
Basic Strategies
> If you suspect a syndie is in a certain department and the station is on blue alert, you can print all of them with the corresponding head's approval. Remember, if you run out of forensic pads you can make more at the secfab in security (ask the warden). This is most useful if you get prints off a crime scene, and have some proof that a member of that department was nearby, or if the contraband found was located very close to a certain department (like right outside cargo). Don't get too crazy, you only have so many forensic pads before you have to start making more.
> Forensics are not the only way to gain information on a case. Be sure to (try to) interview bystanders to see if they saw anything, and to check your radio logs. You never know when a specific tidbit helps you catch your guy. You can keep notes in your PDA or on paper when you start to get overwhelmed.
> Some syndicate items like EMAGs do not leave prints. Instead, be sure to check if any items in affected lockers or nearby consoles were interacted with.
> If a regular crewmember or dumb sec without gloves turns in syndicate contraband, be sure to take note of what gloves they have on or take a copy of their prints. That way, you can cancel out their prints and fibers from whatever shows up on the forensics report from the item. We call this the 'chain of custody.'
> If a murdered body was moved or looted, be sure to scan it to check for the prints of whoever interacted with it. Be advised that you will also find prints from the many people that hugged them over the course of their life.
> Remember to keep the warden informed on all ongoing cases. They can in turn let you know when suspected syndicates are arrested, so you can take their prints to match against ongoing investigations.
> Organization is your friend. I personally like to keep folders for my different cases. That way you can keep different investigations separated and look them up easily. You can also use file cabinets on some maps for the same purpose.
> Syndies always want to get information out of sec. As much as possible, do not tell any nonsec you speak to what kind of evidence you have. Be vague, or even lie about it to put potential suspects at ease.
> Remember to ask a friendly sec officer to provide you with backup during takedowns. We can't do it all alone!
