Vygelas aþ’Urburgan
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The Vygelas aþ’Urburgan (Town Watch/Guards) are a collection of Kouralian law enforcement agencies under the authority of the Kouralian Office for Mainland Affairs, roughly analogous to regular Police in other nations. Despite the blanket term 'Town Watch' being used to describe them almost universally, the correct term would be simply 'Watch' or 'Vygelas.' This is because there are a large number of administrative divisions which are covered by differently named Watches such as City Watches, Lathe Watches, Hundred Watches, and other administrative sub-divisions. One example of this is the Royal Kurton Estates Watch, or Vygelas aþe’Demesn-Chynglæ aþe’Curton, the territorial watch responsible for policing the capital city, and one of the largest watches in the country by established strength.
History
Remit
Insignia
The uniform and insignia of the Vygelas has remained unchanged from its 20th century iteration after being reintroduced in the early 2010s. It fundamentally follows a martial line and shares many similarities with Police Uniforms which were a palate-swap of the Vygelas uniforms.
Uniform
Rank Insignia
The Kouralian Territorial Policing model is divided into two main areas:
- Community Services (Neighbourhood Policing, Response Policing)
- Protective Services (Criminal Investigation, Firearms Policing, Highways Policing, Public Order Policing etc.)
The former is primarily operated by Station-and-below 'Local' organisation, while the latter is usually accomplished by either 'Divisional' or 'Force' assets.
From the Top Down, the force is controlled by a Prefect who answers to a) The Secretary of State for Mainland Affairs and b) the local Questor (a local official in charge of holding the police of the Police Area to Account). The Prefect has total operational control of the force, and has primacy over any other law enforcement agency when within his/her Police Area. Under the Prefect is the Vice Prefect, of which there is one - the deputy for the Prefect. The VP is in charge of Operational matters, and can act in the stead of the P if the P is indisposed (e.g. deceased, ill, or simply absent). There are then a number of Commanders (typically ~3-5) - one in charge of Criminal Investigation, one in charge of Territorial Policing, One in charge of Specialist Operations, one in charge of Personnel and potentially more as befits the size of the force. In larger forces there are 'Vice-Commanders' who are typically in charge of groups of boroughs, deputies to Commanders, or undertake other roles; in smaller forces the VC is a rank which is skipped in promotion. Prefectural Rank Insignia is demarcated with a Fasces superimposed over a laurel wreath.
Below the 'Prefectural' rank grade is the 'Commissioned' Officer Ranks (though there is no Commissioning Process - one must progress from Constable up). First Captains are the officers in charge of Divisions/Boroughs/Basic Command Units, while the 'Captain' is the Operational Commander/second in command of the Division. The Division is a sub-division of the Police Area, allowing more localisation of assets rather than centralising it under Prefectural control. Most 'designated' police station houses act as a hub for a 'district' and are then controlled by a Commissioner (one reason why Police Stations are colloquially called 'Commissions' in Kouralia), with a number of Vice-Commissioners under him or her. Each Vice-Commissioner is in charge of a certain smaller 'Ward', in addition to working in shifts as the 'Duty Commissioner'. Being the highest-ranking officer to work shifts, every designated police station has at least one Vice-Commissioner on duty 24/7, 365 days a year in order to authorise things, and take control of incidents. The Insignia of Commissioned Ranks includes a wreathed Watch Badge.
Below the 'Commissioned' grade of ranks is the 'Enlisted' Ranks (though there is no divide between commissioned and enlisted policemen - promotion from one grade to the other follows naturally. Serjeant is the first supervisory rank, typically overseeing 7-or-so Constables. Serjeant-At-Arms is a senior grade of Serjeancy with increased pay and authority (almost a 'First among Serjeants') for those who have seniority and longevity of service and/or who have rejected promotion to Vice-Commissioner in favour of remaining in their current role. Corporal and Lance Corporal are the same, with both providing nominal authority over Constables but no actual power to authorise or undertake actions above a Constable. Corporal, however, requires one to have been recommended for promotion to Serjeant which was then rejected by the promotee before promotion to it may occur - Lance Corporal is the only grade offered for simple longevity of service. Constable is the lowest rank in the Police Force, and the majority of officers hold it. Lance Constable is the rank/appointment held by Officers in their initial two-year probationary period before they are made full Constables. The rank insignia of enlisted constables includes their division code, collar number, and is primarily made up of chevrons.