Re: [SG2] You'll never take me alive, coppers:Was RE: PA availability

You wrote: 

>pistols/shotguns/s.m.g's as a matter of course. In the USA we choose 
to give >fairly inadequate weapons to most of our Law Enforcement 

9mm isn't that bad.  I havn't given this a great deal of thought for 
the NRE.  Rough draft is as follows.

>I figure three or four arbitrary levels:
>1) Unarmed (Bobbies? Some American Mall Security/Bank Guards) 
Truncheons,>Pepper Spray

None.

>2) Armed (Most US (Canadian? Mexican? Street Cops/Sheriffs, Armored 
car guards) Have small caliber handguns, shotguns for defense/offense. 
May have light body armor.

I will probably be going ahistorical here and introducing some sort of 
professional police organizations that fit this level.	In here would 
also be retainers and paramilitaries raised by local leaders to 
maintain order when necessary--Byzantines gave much leeway to local 
'nobility' (misleading term--The Powerful are the subject of multiple 
books and the whole mess is too complicated to go into here, until the 
era of the Comnenii when things start falling into more Western lines). 
 Also private security guards.

>3) Paramilitary (SWAT Teams, Carbinieri,???) Armed with smg's, sniper
>rifles, assault rifles. Light body armor a must, at least.

Akritai fulfil the border guard functions.  Lightly armed and armored 
(HKP/3s on their cavalry vehicles, mortars attached at BN level).  

>4) Military  Indistinguishable from the local military. (Banana 
Republics, >Soviet KGB Border Guards/ Customs Guards) Probably less (or 
no) >artillery/armor support though.... 

Errruummmmm. . . There is no Posse Comitatus law in the Empire.  Close 
cooperation between military and civil authorities.  Strategos is both 
the military and civil commander of an area and it's troops.  So when 
heavy firepower is needed, MPs or even infantry would be loaned out.  
This is even worse in the City, where the Imperial Guard's METL 
includes supressing riots when necessary (NIKA!).

This is off the top of my head and may expand somewhat.  Tony, if 
you've got any good ideas (and have time inbetween thesis-writing 
sessions) let me know.	:)

John M. Atkinson