About the K9 Efforts - RPLOG
From Flexible Survival
Participants
Date
27/1/2018
Log
The halls of the police station have been cleared, and are void of most officers that would be bustling through the building, as today was the open talk that Vari Arak'Than, the leader of the K9 Police Unit, arranged. A few people alraedy have enetred the halls, waiting for the event to start. A woman, a kemonomimi kitsune with white tails, ears and hair, dressed in a police uniform, was standing on the little podium that has been set up. She was looking at the small crowd, and at the few officers that are standing in the corners and the entrance for security reasons. Then she cleared her throat.
"Welcome, citizens of Fairhaven. My name is Vari Arak'Than, and I am the one leading the K9 police unit. And I am the one that invited you here, so you can ask me any question you have about me or the Unit, and to make your concerns about us heard. Because I know that some of you are still doubtful about us, and our mission." The kitsune nodded. "For this event to run as smoothlHappy as possible, I would like you to stand up when you have a question, or want to say something. I will point at you in turns, so everyone can be satisfied."
Glancing at the handful of neighbors around the room, Melan raises their hand. As Vari acknowledges them with a simple nod, they stand up. "H-hello, Captain Vari. I wanted to thank you for your service in keeping the streets a little safer--I know you don't exactly have it easy--but as a victim of feral activity, I just wanted to get that out of the way. I am curious how the other citizens have treated you--especially get big-fish operatives who might view your public service as competition..." They gulp, nervously, before sitting back down for to await the captain's response.
Vernon crumples up the crude copy of the event poster and slips it inside the pocket of his shirt. He appears thoughtful as Melan opens up the talks on behalf of the audience. "I'll second that," he says nodding towards the Okami Boi. "And I add my thanks, as well." He clears his throat and begins, "My question for you is, how have you continued your work in recent years. Do you track down criminals from before P-Day, if you were still a force back then? Or do you investigate crimes committed in present situation only?"
Vari nodded back in greetings. "First of all, no need to thank us. That is our duty after all, and we are not alone in these efforts. We have sympathizers who help us, even if they are not part of our group. There are citizens on patrol, who are in no way obliged to help us, sent reports our way, or risking their lifes. But we haven't met with only positive feedback. There are people who spread misinformations about us, things like that we are working with Zephyr, or are in the pockets of some big wigs. Both are not true. We are, so far, a self-funded operation. We have our own contractors for equipment, this building was built out of our pockets, and we have no obligations towards anyone except ourselves. We are not working for Zephyr, RSX or the Prometheans. But it is true that we had a close cooperations with the latter, in the resocializing efforts of ferals. But while we worked closely with the Prometheans at that point, we never accepted money for it." The kitsune looked at Vernon. "We have no desire to hunt people down for crimes they did before P-Day happened. Mostly, because it is hard to track back, collecting evidence for crimes that happened then and finding witnesses. So instead, we are focusing on the present. Also, we have only been established a few years back, and expanded our efforts only recently, when we rebuilt this station properly." The vixen adjusted her glasses, and closed her eyes afterwards. "Of course, if we have definitive proof that someone did something before P-Day, that should be punished, then we will try to get that to court as well. We are only a police force. We are not the judges."
After the captain fielded the questions, Melan stood again. "Captain, what do you need--besides creds--that the citizenry might be able to assist you with? Is K9 hiring, or are you still undergoing organizational growing pains?" They again, sat down, looking absent-mindedly at the sparse furnishings of the room.
Vernon breathed a sigh of relief hearing the reply, and quickly made for an empty seat provided for those gathered. Then he settled down and waited his turn to ask another question. "That was an interesting tidbit about your history," he starts when he has the opportunity and rises up to his feet. "Uh, if you are self-funded, how are you any different from the goons who run protection racket? Not that I know of anything like that going on in the city." He raises both defensively in front of his chest. "I mean, is there a higher authority that sets down rules for you or...?" He leaves rest of the question unfinished, as he hesitates. "I am curious."
A tall kemo dragoness stands among the crowd one had resting on her swollen belly. "I have noticed some of your members who are here currently moving around in military clothing, and even your own uniform shows such aspects are you thinking of forming an army?" She asks her blue eyes staring at Vari with interest.
"The one thing we don't need are funds, actually." Vari answered. "Money is not an issue. But we are hiring, as we still are in need of specialists for different tasks. Negotiations, interrogations. A mediator, or a specialist in firearms, for instructing our recruits. Medics, psychologists. The list is long enough. But with the recent developements redargind a new government, the interest in taking such a position has been heightened, so I am confident that we will find those people soon enough." The vixen smiled. "We are different from the 'goons' as you tell them, in the fact that we actually are trying to be a part in the forming government as the official police force. We are different in the fact that we do have talks with prominent political figures in trying to figure out what is best for the society. We are no different from them in our desire to serve and protect." The woman looked at Vernon. "And while there is no higher authority at the moment setting rules, we stick to the moral code that any police force should abide by. As I said just a moment ago: Serve, and protect." She then looked at the dragoness. "I am not planning on building an army. That would be overstepping our boundaries. The fact that some of us wear military equipment is simply the scarcity of ressources, so wearing something that is available and ready in opposition of making something new is much more ecologically sound for a self-funded operation such as ours."
:nods at the captain's words, glancing at the handful of others' reactions. The dragoness' concerns echo their own, but the captain seems, at least to Melan, competent and sincere. Half of civics was participating in it--and they should be so lucky to have an opportunity, before a power vacuum happens and people begin clinging to whatever power they can hold onto. "What would you like each of us to leave this meeting with?" they remain standing for a few moments, stretching their legs from being subjected to uncomfortable folding chairs.
Vernon sat in the chair after muttering a "Thank you" to Vari's reply. He seemed a bit restless, and sprang to his feet when he had the chance to express his doubt. "This might fall outside of the scope of this, uh, interview of sorts." He gulps down excess saliva formed in his mouth and continues. "Earlier you mentioned that you worked with Prometheans to help resocialize ferals -and I have not kept up with the news in recent times, so pardon me there- but you also mentioned about contributing towards a new government." A pause to give himself and others time to think before he asks, "Does this mean that ferals, if socialized, can join the K9 Police like any other?"
Vernon sits down in the chair!
A small mouse stands jumping on his seat to be seen by the woman on the podium. "Yes miss I was woundering by what means do you arrest someone?" He squeeks still jumping up, and down to be seen as he asks his question. "After all there is no real court system anymore or at least for now so how do you get anything like a warrent."
The questions this time were a bit harder for the kitsune to answer. She closed her eyes, adjusting her glasses, thinking of a reply to the first question. "I...think everyone should build their own opinion about us. If I can help inform you about us and our mission, then I think I did a good enough job." Vari opened the eyes again. "If there really is anything I would like you to know, is, that we are trying our best to make the streets as safe as possible. And yes, that would mean employing ferals, if they are in a state that is workable. Ferals aren't all stupid, or unsociable. If they can make clearminded decisions, then they are welcome to join. Of course, their evaluation will be a bit more thorough, so we can get a grasp on how stable they are." She nodded. Looking at the mouse afterwards, she addressed him. "You are right and wrong in a way. Of course, warrants do not exist anymore. So we need to make informed decisions before we arrest anyone. This means more investigation on our parts, and generally much more work. However, I had the pleasure working with lawyers and prosecutors alike. And while it is not offcial, there is at least a semblance of a court system. Of course, we are trying to make arrests ONLY on solid, hard evidence. And so far, we have been succesful."
The mouses nods at the question shifting on his seat for a few moments as his question is answered, but he begins to jump in his seat again. "And what about the issuees left behind by the leader before you the ones of the more errm sexual nature have you handled those, or just tried to sweep them under the rug?"-+
The mouses nods at the question shifting on his seat for a few moments as his question is answered, but he begins to jump in his seat again. "And what about the issuees left behind by the leader before you the ones of the more errm snature have you handled those, or just tried to sweep them under the rug?"-+
The mouses nods at the question shifting on his seat for a few moments as his question is answered, but he begins to jump in his seat again. "And what about the issuees left behind by the leader before you the ones of the more errm snature have you handled those, or just tried to sweep them under the rug?"-+
Melan looks at their communicator, shocked at the time, though eager to hear the response to the mouse's question. They remain silent, now, having asked everything they wanted, and seeming rather confident of K9's direction. They judge the expressions on everyone elses' faces.
Vernon seems put to ease with Vari's answers so far. He does not stand up this time, as he has no question, only an opinion. When everyone had said their bit, the wolf beast adds his comment, "I hope the ferals are not simply made into minions when you resocialize and employ them. God knows it's easy to deceive even an intelligent person capable of independent thought." He gives a slow nod to the spokesperson at the podium and says, "It's a small concern, as I tend to overthink sometimes, but your narration so far has been quite full of hope." What hope? Vernon doesn't say.
"Our reputation from before my takeover of the force are publicly known. I do not intend to hide them, or sweep them under the rug. Honesty is a personal virtue of mine, and as long as I am the leader, I will never lie about what we did. Of course, sometimes I have to withhold information, if we consider those informations to be too dangerous to go to the public. But, if we screw up, we screw up, and we have to stand and apologize for it. However, the problems we had before I took over have nothing to do with who we are today. We have gone from a group that used the name of police to benefit themselves, to a group that actually stands for the virtues a police should have. I will make this one thing very clear. We want only one thing. To serve and protect the citizens of Fairhaven."
Melan stands up, as the room seems to be adjourning. They walk over to podium where the Captain is still presiding over. "Hi, I just wanted to thank you again, for doing this. It isn't easy to build a community, but you're going about it the right way." They smile at the uniformed vixen, bowing, before walking to the exit, pitching the flyer in the wastebin, and leaving the precinct.
Vernon puts his hands on his knees, bends forward slightly and pushes himself out of the warm seat once again to rise to his full height. The promethean does not share looks with others who gathered and presented their concerns to Vari. And as some from audience gather around the podium to give thanks, Vernon takes the quickest route to the streets, where he removes and discards the crumpled paper he had put away.
After all questions were answered, the Kitsune bowed down. "Thank you for coming." She said. "I really hope that I could answer your questions. I am not telling you to just blindly believe us. After all, scepticism is healthy, and even goodwilled organizations should be doubted. We just have to prove our worth with our actions in the future." With that Vari looked over the crowd as they left, wondering if they would get the word out to the streets in that way.
Maldeous sighs as things seem to calm down the tiny old wolf leaning a bit more on his cane as he moves over a bit more to Vari his single amber eye still watching the remains of the crowd.
