Comm-Link:Advocacy Archive - Bounties

ADVOCACY ARCHIVE

INTRA-AGENCY MESSAGE

To: SC Don Macklin

From: SC Eva Reimold

RE: New Initiative

Have you seen this new protocol initiative circulating the High-Advocate’s office? I understand that the provisions allowing private citizens and bounty hunters to apprehend fugitives is a little outdated, but this seems excessive.

- Eva

Eva Reimold

Section Chief – Davien System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Eva Reimold

From: SC Don Macklin

RE: RE: New Initiative

Hello Eva,

Perhaps you should have read to the end of the initiative. I helped draft it.

Yes, the old system is tremendously outdated. We are at a fragile time as the latest Crime Report indicates an uptick, particularly in border systems, while our operating budgets are being diminished. We simply don’t have the resources to handle the growing number of fugitives. By offering contracts to the public before the cracks of our budgetary constraints become apparent, the Advocacy maintains its authority and appears beneficent rather than weak and desperate to maintain control.

Don Macklin

Section Chief – Croshaw System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Don Macklin

From: SC Eva Reimold

RE: RE: RE: New Initiative

So you did. I didn’t know you’d started dabbling in legislation. When did this happen?

It’s interesting you mention preserving the authority of the Advocacy because to me, this proposal does the exact opposite. Not only will it immediately look like the Advocacy is floundering to maintain an aura of control, but our Agents will lose an essential part of their training. Our Agents are feared throughout the criminal underworld because they are good at what they do. The only way they achieve that level of competence is by chasing down criminals. By outsourcing that duty to the public, their training will diminish. Besides, it’s not like we assign bounties for not paying your taxes or misplacing cargo — these are proudly criminal, often violent offenders, who aren’t going to drop shields when confronted by a cop.

In short, the only way our agents are going to maintain their combat and investigative effectiveness is having them out there hunting down criminals. Plus, everyone knows that ninety percent of good police work is knowing your sector. We start taking our agents off their beat, they’re going to start losing touch with what’s going on out there and that can be dangerous.

Eva Reimold

Section Chief – Davien System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Eva Reimold

From: SC Don Macklin

RE: RE: New Initiative

Your concern for the safety of our agents is touching considering Operation Black Phoenix. But I am confident that we will adapt to maintain the combat readiness and effectiveness of our agents.

The core of the matter is seen in a simple cost comparison. The cost of Advocacy Agents who may be injured or killed, added to the cost of repairs to their ships during apprehension of these criminals plus other standard tracking expenses, is much more than a five thousand credit payout to a Citizen. We aren’t accountable for damage to person or ship incurred during the execution of the bounty.

Now if you don’t mind, the day’s Relays just arrived and must be reviewed.

Don Macklin

Section Chief – Croshaw System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Don Macklin

From: SC Eva Reimold

RE: RE: New Initiative

Cheap shot, Don. Black Phoenix was a sound operation until the Senate Oversight forced us to use local assets. So of course someone leaked it to that show and tipped him off.

Don’t change the subject and forgive me if I think that throwing members of the public sector, Citizens or no, at our growing criminal element is a lazy excuse for law enforcement. It’s not the public’s responsibility to maintain order, it’s ours. That’s why we chose this job.

Eva Reimold

Section Chief – Davien System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Eva Reimold

From: SC Don Macklin

RE: RE: New Initiative

We’re trying to create an environment of deterrence, Eva. It’s one thing when it’s cops versus robbers. When it’s robbers versus everyone, the criminal element has no port in the storm. It’s still early in the process but we’ve been working on a new addition to the initiative. We heard through sources that the insurance agencies were becoming increasingly worried about the additional risk to their clients with bounty tags. So, we quietly approached them and proposed that there might be an opportunity to suspend policies for ships with outstanding bounties, thereby ameliorating the cost and their financial liability. Let’s just say they were receptive to the idea.

This is a double win for us: it encourages those with active bounties to turn themselves in, pay their fines, and get their insurance reinstated, and it adds the considerable weight of the insurance companies to our efforts to reduce crime.

Frankly, I think that’s rather progressive law enforcement. Now I really must attend to the updates from my sector.

Don Macklin

Section Chief – Croshaw System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

To: SC Don Macklin

From: SC Eva Reimold

RE: RE: New Initiative

This isn’t over.

See you at home.

Eva Reimold

Section Chief – Davien System

Office of the Advocacy – Earth

END CHAIN