Satavian Federal Police
| Satavian Federal Police | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Satavian Federal Police | |
| Abbreviation | SFP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1986 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Employees | 8,033 (June 2017) |
| Annual budget | €1.10 billion (2019-20) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | Satavia |
| Operations jurisdiction | Satavia |
| Governing body | Government of Satavia |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Dominion Building, Port Hope |
| Sworn members | 5,430 (June 2017) |
| Unsworn members | 2,603 (June 2017) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Services | 11
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| Offices | 9
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| Website | |
| https://www.sfp.gov.sv | |
The Satavian Federal Police (SFP) is the principal federal law enforcement agency in Satavia, and is tasked with policing the National Capital District, investigating serious organised crime and protecting the country's national security. The SFP has supreme authority over most other federal and provincial agencies, including all seven provincial police forces.
The SFP is an independent police body and is supervised directly by the Satavian Government and is accountable to the Parliament of Satavia. The SFP focuses on anti-corruption in other law enforcement agencies, investigating and ending serious organised crime, cracking down on the use and trafficking of illegal narcotics and counter-extremism and terrorism operations. The SFP also serve as a supplement to provincial police forces if help is requested. The SFP has been criticised routinely for its perceived heavy-handed policing tactics.
History
The SFP was formed in 1986 as a merger of the Federation Police Constabulary, Anti-Corruption and Counter-Terrorism Service and the Federation Police Conduct & Standards Office, and was given sweeping powers under the Federal & Provincial Police Act 1986. It came into controversy less than a year after its formation after the death of 21-year-old Divan Roberts, who was fatally shot by an SFP officer. The SFP claimed Roberts had been resisting arrest, but eyewitness testimonies stated otherwise. A High Court hearing later that year found that the SFP high command had deliberately misled the investigation that was being conducted by the Hope Province Police Service, and led to the resignation of several high-ranking officers.
In 1993, despite negative press coverage and public opinion and the poor reputation of the agency, the Government expanded its responsibilities with the merger of the Federal Narcotics Taskforce with the SFP. After the transfer of Port Hope to the federal government, the SFP was given local policing responsibility for the city.
Oversight
The SFP is overseen by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement and Police Ethics, which is made up of members from both the House of Representatives and Senate. It is accountable to the Parliament of Satavia and is independent of the Independent Policing Standards & Ethics Office (IPSEO).
As the SFP is charged with anti-corruption in the provincial police forces, the Satavian Military Police, a branch of the Satavian Army, is charged with investigating corruption in the SFP.
Organisation
The SFP is organised into six divisions, of which five operate on a federal basis and one - Port Hope Local Policing District - operates on a provincial level. Each division is lead by a Chief Superintendent[1]. Furthermore, the SFP manages one Force Control Centre in Longwood, Port Hope, where officers receive 111 Emergency Calls and distribute police units across the NCD.
Functions
111 Emergency
The Satavian Federal Police, through its Force Control Centre in Longwood, Port Hope, receives 111 Emergency calls across the NCD. The force receives approximately 5,500 111 Emergency calls every day.
Anti-Corruption
The SFP is tasked with investigating corruption within the provincial police services, in addition to the provincial and federal government. The SFP most notably investigated sitting Prime Minister Milo Malan of electoral fraud, for which he was convicted in 2005.
Border Investigations
The SFP work closely with the Satavian Border Force once a suspect known to immigration has entered the country. In 2011, the SFP arrested an Estmerish-born Imaguan citizen named Pete Grant, who was arrested three weeks after he entered the country legally and was held for 295 days at an immigration centre without charge, which was later ruled as unlawful. The SFP was forced to apologise and pay compensation.
Counter-Terroism
Terrorism, whilst rare in Satavia, still occurs and the SFP are Satavia's counter-terrorism force. Almost all terrorism in Satavia is domestic, and the SFP work closely with the Security Service to prevent terrorism. The last major terror attack in Satavia occurred in 2016, during the 2016 Government House attack, when a neo-functionalist 25-year-old named Philip Snow attempted to gain access to Government House in Port Hope, where he planned to assassinate the Governor of the Hope Province, Helena Warwick. Snow murdered five people, one security guard, three civilians and SFP officer DS Mark Rafe, whom he stabbed, before himself being killed by another SFP officer.
Diplomatic Protection Unit
The Diplomatic Protection Unit protects all embassies and diplomatic missions across Satavia and the Patrick Islands, in addition to the Parliament buildings in Port Hope. DPU officers are heavily armed, and also protect all foreign emissaries in Satavia, as well as the Prime Minister, President and the Speakers of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Organised Crime Prevention
The SFP is also engaged in preventing organised crime, which is particularly prominent in some rural regions of Satavia. The SFP routinely carry out raids on suspected gang bases, although it has been suggested that some organised crime groups may have infiltrated the SFP.
Local policing
The SFP manage all local policing in the National Capital District, where they took over the role of policing the capital from the Hope Province Police Service in 1999.
Insignia & Uniform
| Satavian Federal Police ranks and insignia | |||||||||||
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| Rank | Commissioner | Deputy Commissioner | Assistant Commissioner | Superintendent | Detective Chief Inspector | Detective Inspector | Detective Sergeant | Detective Constable | Senior Constable | Constable | Recruit |
| Epaulette insignia | 
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| Military equivalent | Lieutenant General | Major General | Brigadier | Lieutenant Colonel | Captain | Warrant officer | Sergeant | Lance Corporal | Private | Cadet | |
Ranks in the Satavian Federal Police are largely based upon those of the provincial police forces, which in turn are primarily based upon police forces in Estmere. The highest rank is Commissioner, which has been held by Pieter Maurice since 2018.
SFP officers have similar uniforms to those of the Hope Province Police Service. Typical headdress for non-specialist officers is a type of slouch hat, although baseball caps and peaked hats are increasingly commonplace. All officers are equipped with a stab or bullet-proof vest whilst on duty, and a high visibility jacket may be worn as well.
Commissioners
Since its inception in 1986, the force has had nine police commissioners. It is customary for commissioners to have served previously as a commissioner for a provincial police service or a federal agency. The current commissioner is Pieter Maurice, who has previously served as police commissioner for the New Borland Police.
| Rank | Name | Term began | Term ended | Time in appointment | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner of the SFP | ||||||
| Commissioner | Johan van de Witts | 22 February 1986 | 5 December 1986 | 286 days | Resigned following the death of Divan Roberts and subsequent High Court case | |
| Commissioner | Edward Mulberry-Bingham | 5 December 1986 | 1 January 1990 | 3 years, 27 days | ||
| Commissioner | Pieter Macleson | 1 January 1990 | 23 January 1990 | 22 days | Resigned following revelations of an extra-marital affair with a junior officer | |
| Commissioner | Andrew Reece | 23 January 1990 | 8 October 2002 | 12 years, 258 days | Died in office | |
| Commissioner | Daniel Warwick | 8 October 2002 | 22 April 2007 | 4 years, 196 days | Pressured to resign by government of Edward Norton over faliure to contain 2007 Satavian Riots | |
| Commissioner | Dawid-Jaques Pienaar | 22 April 2007 | 3 September 2007 | 134 days | Resigned following the end of the 2007 Satavian riots | |
| Commissioner | Ricky van de Merwe | 3 September 2007 | 1 January 2014 | 6 years, 120 days | ||
| Commissioner | Edwin Moltenberg | 1 January 2014 | 1 January 2018 | 4 years, 0 days | ||
| Commissioner | Pieter Maurice | 1 January 2018 | Incumbent | 6 years, 356 days | ||
Equipment
Communications
Officers communicate with each other using analogue two-way radios. A trial in 2019 aimed at the possibility of using Apple iPhones proved unsuccessful, even though Apple iPhones have been rolled out with other provincial police services.
Transport
Ariel Transport
The SPF has access to an Air Support Unit, Arend II, which is made up of helicopters that are stationed at air force bases across the country, and four that are stationed at Cape James International Airport.
Maritime Units
Whilst possessing no maritime units itself, the SFP has the power to commandeer any civilian-owned vessels and has full access to a provincial police service's maritime units.
Road Vehicles
Only three variants of a road vehicle are in use by the SFP as of 2021. These include the locally-made Barrett Commodore, which serves as the generic vehicle of choice and is used in local policing in Port Hope. The standard livery used on police vehicles is a Yellow/Blue Battenburg marking.
| Class | Image | Type | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol vehicles | |||||
| Barrett Commodore |  |
PC | Produced in Nuvania and Satavia, serves as generic road vehicle of choice, particularly in local policing | ||
| Land Rover Exploration II | _01.jpg) |
PC | Produced in Estmere and in the process of being replaced | ||
| WMW 5 Series | .jpg) |
PC | Produced in Werania, used primarily in high-speed pursuits and highway-patrol | ||
Weaponry
All sworn members of the SFP carry firearms on their person, in contrast to the provincial police forces, which do not provide firearms to all officers. Officers routinely carry Tasers, pepper spray and truncheons. Firearms provided to officers are usually handguns, such as the Glock 22. Specialist units, such as Armed Response Units in Port Hope, Diplomatic Protection Units, Counter-Terrorism Command and officers serving with the Narcotic Taskforce are armed with automatic rifles, most commonly the SIG Sauer SIG516.
As all officers are armed, a higher percentage of arrests end in the deaths of both police officers and suspects than in other provincial police forces. At least four people have been killed by negligent discharge of a firearm by SFP officers since 2010. Several others have been killed in accidental discharges, of which two were determined to be caused by lack of proper maintenance on the firearm.
Police & Civilian deaths
Police killed in the line of duty
Several SFP officers have been killed in the line of duty since the force's inception in 1986. The latest officer to be killed was Derek Du Plekker, aged 28, who was shot and killed whilst attending a burglary in progress in Crowe District, Port Hope.
| Rank | Name | Age | Date | Circumstance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable | Dawid Smuts | 33 | 28 March 1987 | Gunned down by members of the Vespasa Nine drug cartel during a drug bust operation | Warwicksberg, Orange Province |
| Constable | Edward Malan | 27 | |||
| Detective Inspector | James Pienaar | 49 | |||
| Detective Constable | Jacobus de Klerk | 24 | 24 December 1989 | Abducted and beaten to death with a cricket bat during a stakeout | Port Hope, Hope Province |
| Constable | William Mckinley | 38 | 15 March 1992 | Assaulted by a fleeing murder suspect, died of his injuries in hospital | Konnigstad, Hope Province |
| Detective Inspector | Nelson Smith | 42 | 1 January 1995 | Gunned down by Donald Merdoch during the New Year's Massacre | Windstad, Orange Province |
| Constable | Bernard Frey | 24 | |||
| Detective Sergeant | Richard Wordsworth | 32 | |||
| Constable | Alexander Willem Hayes | 19 | |||
| Detective Constable | Edward Myers | 26 | |||
| Constable | Jan Vertel | 26 | 15 March 1999 | Shot and killed during a routine traffic stop | Port Hope, National Capital District |
| Detective Inspector | James Malkirk | 50 | 30 May 2004 | Fatally shot during a counter-terrorism operation | Northport, Orange Province |
| Traffic Officer | Arthur Longman | 19 | 12 November 2009 | Held hostage whilst unarmed and later shot by both the hostage-taker and accidentally by Special Forces, died of injuries in hospital the same day | Port Hope, National Capital District |
| Detective Sergeant | Mark Rafte | 38 | 8 January 2016 | Stabbed fatally whilst guarding the entrance to Government House | Port Hope, National Capital District |
| Constable | Derek Du Plekker | 28 | 27 September 2020 | Shot and killed whilst attending burglary in progress | Port Hope, National Capital District |
Civilian deaths involving police
Since the force's inception in 1986, there have been 48 civilian deaths in SFP custody, of which 12 were determined to be suicides. 16 civilians were killed in incidents that were later found to be due to a breach of policing ethics, including the high-profile death of Luke Chancellor in 2017, who was beaten to death by three officers whilst in police detention.
An additional 36 people have been shot and killed by SFP, five of whom were innocent bystanders, and eleven of whom were unarmed. The killing of Divan Roberts in 1986 was particularly controversial, as police claimed he had resisted arrest and had threatened to shoot the arresting officers. Eyewitnesses told the High Court that Roberts had been unarmed and had his hands up when he was shot nine times in the torso, arms and head. He died instantly. Since 1986, 173 people involved in police pursuits were killed, in addition to 158 sustaining serious injuries. A report published by the IPSEO in 2018 showed that a suspect was much more likely to be killed when dealing with the SFP than any other provincial police force or federal agency.
Controversies
On 13 September 1986, during an operation designed to reduce the high number of illegally owned firearms in the Orange Province, SFP officers stopped a car driven by 21-year-old Divan Roberts. During the stop, Roberts, who did not possess a firearm, allegedly threatened to kill the officers, in addition to supposedly resisting arrest. Roberts, ethnically Bahian, was shot seven times as he was getting out of his vehicle. Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene. The SFP initially claimed that Roberts had threatened to kill the officers before resisting arrest, however, eyewitness reports contradicted this. Some days after the shooting, the SFP unlawfully attempted to force the Orange Province Police Service to end its investigation, which the OPPS did. On 29 September, however, the High Court ordered the OPPS to reopen its investigation into the death. The OPPS charged both SFP officers involved in the incident with murder and on 3 December both officers (whose identities were withheld under the Protection of Identity, Vulnerable Persons and Secrets Act, 1935). The High Court also ruled that the attempted coverup by the SFP was unlawful, and on December 5, SFP commissioner Johan van de Witts, in addition to a large proportion of the SFP's high command, resigned.
During 1995, SFP officers were responsible for one-quarter of all deaths in custody across Satavia, despite the SFP having no local policing jurisdiction at the time.
In a 2004 counter-terrorism operation in Northport, Orange Province, SFP agents killed all 14 suspects that they had hoped to question, in addition to two uninvolved bystanders. One SFP officer, DI James Malkirk, was killed during the operation. His death was attributed to the firefight that occurred during the operation, although it has been suggested that he may have been killed by negligent discharge.
In the wake of the escalating financial crisis, riots occurred across Satavia in 2007. Port Hope saw the most violence, where the SFP was found to have aggravated the situation, particularly due to their heavy-handed tactics that involved the deployment of police horses to disperse rioters. On occupancy staged outside the Reserve Bank of Satavia and in the surrounding area went on for four weeks before SFP riot control officers moved in and dispersed the crowd with water cannons and police horses, killing six rioters in the process. The SFP was praised by some Satavian right-wing media organisations, such as the Daily Satavian, but many centrist and left-wing media organisations condemned the heavy-handed response. The SFP's failure to contain the riots led to the resignation of Daniel Warwick as commissioner in April 2007, and his successor Dawid-Jaques Pienaar later that year.
On 24 April 2017, Luke Chancellor, a 17-year-old male who had been arrested for dangerous driving, driving without a license and driving under the influence of alcohol, amongst other vehicular-related charges, was beaten to death in police custody by three officers at a Port Hope police station. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, was triggered when Chancellor, who had behaved well after his arrest, bit the nose of one of the police officers, caused him to react violently, punching Chancellor in the head three times. Two other officers assisted, and Chancellor, whilst restrained, was punched twelve times in the head by the three officers, although a pathologist's examination suggested that Chancellor was killed by the first punch. Consequently, Officer A, who was not named for legal reasons, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for Murder with a mitigating factor, whilst Officers B and C were sentenced to five years each for assault and battery of a corpse. The sentences were regarded as light and caused mass uproar in some areas of Port Hope.
In 2019, the force was again facing criticism after a civilian bystander was killed by negligent discharge when an officer accidentally discharged his firearm when stowing his handgun. The officer was suspended but faced no charges. The family of the killed civilian announced they would sue for damages against the SFP, who settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
See Also
- ↑ No distinction is made between a Chief Superintedent and a Superintendent in terms of seniority