#Police Officer Code of Ethics

[bootleg-parable]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

Next chapter.

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Breathe…

Come on, Donnie, think.

If his hands weren’t both entangled in his hair and pressed to either side of his head, they would have been shaking. His breath escaped him on quaking waves of panic, and his eyes burned with tears that dropped onto the unfamiliar floor below him.

What’s the last thing that you remember doing before any of this happened? Where were you? How…How did I wind up here–?

You have to remember something.

Anything!

Anything…

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Donatello Angelo: Parcel delivery extraordinaire. That's what he called himself to lessen the drab of this soup-sandwich of a life he was living out. He never found any particular joy out of waking up every morning before the breaking of dawn for work. His only saving grace were off days, but with bills to pay and mouths to feed, those came very few and far in between. He was lucky enough to have the privilege of splitting those costs, but that didn't make them come as any less. Sure, he could spice things up with a new occupation, but this was the best-paying one that he could find in his area. He loved his quaint little neighbourhood away from the city, he really did. It was quiet. Everybody knew everybody. It felt like being surrounded by family that he didn't have before. But in being a good distance away from proper civilisation, it made job-hunting an extraordinary feat. It was just his luck that there was a Postal Index at the base of the mountain on which the houses were arranged, otherwise he'd have no job at all.

He had to take what he could get. That's just how life worked- no use in complaining. He knew better than to complain about that which could not be changed. Life was meant to be mediocre. You live and you die, right?

Right.

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......RRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNG!

Donnie groaned, eyes screwing tighter shut while the duvet came up over his head to drown out the rudeness of his alarm clock that he'd set himself the night previous. It was a Wednesday morning, and the sun was barely up. Wednesdays were always the busiest and therefore the worst. He'd be scrambling up and down every street on the roster all day long, and even now, with about two hours between waking up and actually having to get to work, he already wasn’t looking forward to it. Exhaustion was heavy in his mind and body and he hadn’t even stirred to get up yet. Ugh.

"Good morning, my light," Lulled a whispering tone as the ringing was willed swiftly to silence. He must’ve been asleep with the door open- he didn’t hear it click. A weight settled on the bed just beside Donnie, and that voice spoke directly against the back of his neck when the covers were inched down. "I made breakfast."

Donnie opened his eyes and turned himself over to face his housemate, being greeted in return with a pat on the cheek and a pair of smiling amber eyes. "...Mornin', Shie."

Shiloh Karmello, or, if you wanted to get informal about it: Officer Pompadour. They were the best detective on the entire police force, but more importantly, they were Donnie’s housemate, and have been for years now. The two kept each other well in line, balancing one another out in departments where they lacked. Shiloh was nicer than Donnie was, and they maintained a much stronger work ethic than he could ever dream of. The Police Department was thirty minutes away from the Postal Index, which was already almost a thirteen-minute drive, so Shiloh had to be up nice and early to get there on time. Donatello had no problem admitting that his clock was never actually the one to wake him up. Shiloh was. If they could make it day to day without so much as a sigh too heavy, then so could he.

He sat up from bed and watched as his friend's navy-blue figure slunk out the door, fastening a less-than-dress-code-friendly, pink tie around their neck. Or, well. Trying to.

"Come back here," He mumbled, his voice carrying quiet and airy, as it has for years since his childhood. He kicked on a pair of slippers and sleepily hobbled after the other, just barely missing the doorframe with his shoulder. "Idiot."

"Whaaat? I almost had it."

Shiloh leaned in a little closer for Donnie to finish- in a matter of seconds- what they'd barely started in minutes. Seeing as his own uniform required a well-done tie, he'd become a master at shaping one up. Shiloh's was only for show. Donnie didn’t doubt that they only started wearing one to match him.

He patted the side of Shiloh's chest. "'Almost had it', my ass."

"You're always so mean to me." Pouted Shiloh.

“You’re used to it.”

And to announce the coming of his early-morning awareness, he raised his arms above his head in a stretch and let go of a mighty yawn. Shiloh grabbed a hold of the wall and hunkered down like the ceiling was about to collapse.

"Woah. Did you feel that earthquake? It was stronger than the one from yesterday."

Donatello humoured them with a smile. "Shut up."

Dressed, right. He needed to get dressed. How long ago was breakfast made? If it was still fresh, he could probably shovel it down before it got cold. But then again, he didn't mind cold food. Microwaves existed, sure, but time did not. He could eat it in the car, warm or not. Shiloh was driving anyway. He fumbled around for a while putting on the layers of his uniform. Undershirt. Overshirt. Pants. Belt. Tie. Coat. Hat. So many different things to keep track of, and the clothing wasn't even the worst of it. He was lucky to live in a place where the heat was merciful. Running around in various sheets of fabric, lifting heavy boxes and taking care in placing them gently upon doorsteps to avoid incidents of damaged goods. It wasn't necessarily damning work, but it was enough to make a poor bastard sweat. ‘Tedious’ is how Donnie would describe it. The main challenge came out of interacting with people if they answered the door before he could run back to the vehicle. Nobody wanted to hang around anymore than they had to.

"Are you bringing Archie with you, today?" Shiloh questioned while shuffling through a bag for their utility belt. "Or is she staying around the office?"

Donatello mulled over the pros and cons in his head and grinded his molars together. It wasn't healthy, but it helped him think up until the constant pressure carried in a headache. "Not much help lounging around an empty building."

"Empty?"

"It's all hands on deck, today. We'll need all the help we can get, and with a small staff, it won't be much."

Archie was Donnie's service dog. She went with him everywhere, but sometimes when it came to making deliveries, he had to, unfortunately, leave her behind in the office, and one of his trusted coworkers would take her place. There were usually people in the building that could keep an eye on her and keep her busy, but Wednesdays were always an exception.

"Well," Shiloh jingled the car keys. "Her vest is hanging by the door. You can dress her up in the car." That was their nice way of saying 'get moving', which meant that they were running late.

Donnie could respect their patience. He would’ve just gotten straight to the point, no matter how it came across as he said it. They must've had a lot of composure over themselves, especially with a job like that. A detective? Jeez. Looking for evidence leading to the finalisation of a crime, picking out suspects and determining one's guilt by time, place, and a couple of strangely-placed smudges alone. Helping people was hard enough- so much so that sometimes it felt hopeless. Shiloh was strong to be doing what they do. Donnie admired that.

"C'mon, Chia," He patted his leg a few times, and out from her blanket-fort emerged Archie, shaking out her long, tricolour coat.

He gave her a good scratch behind the ears as good morning and scooped the paper plate up from the table that held his lukewarm breakfast. Almost show time. Just a car ride away. He scooted into the passenger seat and let Archie hop up and rest her front paws on his lap. In the time that it took Shiloh to buckle up, start the car, and pull out of the driveway, half of his food was already gone.

They almost seemed disgusted. "Where the fuck did it go?"

Donnie shrugged mid-swallow of an egg. He snuck a sausage Archie's way before strapping her into her vest and attaching the leash to the back hook. All set and ready to go. Maybe she could help him carry letters...Although, nobody wants slobbery mail. Maybe they'd make an exception since she was cute.

Maybe.

He stared out of the window during the spiralled descent down the road. Driving was one of life's greater tediums, as if it wasn’t already full of them. There were so many things to focus on at once, but even with a mind full of life-risking factors, Donnie would find a challenge out of fighting to stay awake while doing so. His brain was always asleep, but especially on the road. He would look into his mirrors to change lanes and receive the horn from a car that he swore wasn't there before. Stupid. He hated driving. It took him so long to get cleared for that licence, and for what? That's why Shiloh usually took him to work. It was safer that way. They went the same direction half of the time anyway. Though, on occasion, Donatello would take the wheel to give the officer a break after a long day. It wasn’t much since it’d always be on the way back home- a much shorter distance than what Shiloh had to travel just to pick him up- but every second counted. They deserved the rest. All he had to do was pay real close attention so he didn't kill the both of them in a wreck. Easier said than done, but anything for his friend.

Almost anything.

“Try to behave yourself today, okay?” Shiloh pulled the car around to the front and kept their foot firmly on the brake instead of shifting the gear to park. “I’m off early, so I’ll be here sooner.”

Oh, great. Maybe they’d send him home when they noticed that his ride was waiting a ridiculous amount of time for his shift to be over. Yeah, right. His boss would never have that kind of mercy on him. Work was work. You had to get it done, or you weren’t going anywhere. That’s how it was for everyone.

“Gotcha,” He said through a yawn. “If I’m not in the office when you get there, just hang tight ‘til I’m back.”

“I’ll be sitting pretty.”

His expression got flatter than he meant for it to. “Right.”

He popped the car door open and allowed Archie the honours of stepping out first. She bounded in circles to work out some of her energy while her not-so-energetic human dragged himself onto his feet, shutting the door behind him. Shiloh gave their housemate a wink and a snappy finger-gun just before the car revved forward, looped around, and peeled off down the road, vanishing around a corner. The day was officially starting. Don didn’t take enough time to mentally prepare himself for all of this, even if every day was the exact same routine with the exception of a few changes. It was too early in the morning. Maybe his coworkers would be too devoid of energy to spark much conversation. A couple of hellos, if even that. Anything more would be a surprise.

“Pray for ease.”

Archie whined.

The ground, composed of 90% gravel and 10% sparsely-growing grass, crunched underneath the soles of his shoes with every step that he took toward the door. He checked the parking lot while it was still within his view: either delivery trucks and three civillian cars, and one of them was definitely his boss’. Most of the bunch that he worked with still hadn’t arrived. Perfect. A bit more silence to relish in before daylight. He was so focused counting cars and getting lost in the personalisation of each individual vehicle to notice that the door was opened before he even reached it, and he collided face-to-chest with somebody much taller than he was…A lot of them were taller than him, but this person was colossal. That meant that it could be one of two people. Remmy, or…

“Marc.”

“Donnie.”

Marcellus was Donatello’s worst enemy. You know, the usual rivalry between coworkers. And of course, he had to be the first big-bearded face to greet him. It was going to be an excellent day.

“You’d ought to pay more attention to where you’re walking, little man,” He sneered as he stepped aside to let the other enter.

Don casted him as dark of a glare as he could manage. Archie did the same. “Keep your tits outta the doorway, then.”

“I was already on my way out before you came by, jackass.”

On his way out? Where could this lumbering idiot be going this early in the morning? He was already at work, what else was there? Whatever. It didn’t have enough of Donatello’s concern to sit and debate. He wanted to get inside and kick on the space heater by his chair. It was too cold outside without the sun.

So he retreated into the building, past Marcellus and through the double-doors to the main office. It was a b-line straight for his desk, where he bent down and twisted the knob on the heater at the foot of his seat to warm the place up a bit. Archie stretched her paws in front of the heat waves and plopped down right beside the machine. If she were a cat, she'd be purring louder than the mechanical hum of it. Donatello patted her lower back and placed himself in the chair near to her. Maybe he could take a nap. How long until the shift started, again..?

"Donnita!"

Oh, here he comes.

Of course, Donnie wasn't able to keep a perfectly straight-face on when Iilak came skipping over to him. The man was hard to be totally sad around. Something about him was just so contagious, and whether you liked it or not, every area that he was in became a no-moping zone.

"You're here early, my man," Iilak pointed out while playfully shaking Donnie's shoulder in greeting.

"Not by choice."

"Oh, I bet."

Iilak dropped to his knees as Archie quickly sat up to say hello to him. Her tail was wagging so hard that her entire body moved with it. She was all wiggles and excited whines, licking his hands and biting at his sleeves once they were in reach to pet her.

"Ooh, you're so happy. Are you so happy?" Iilak's interactions with Archie always made Donnie laugh. They were just so needlessly and effortlessly goofy. "Archie, Archie, Archie! Happy girlll."

"Stealing my dog, Remm?”

A smirk was sent Donatello's way. "Maybe I am. I'dunno, D.T., I think she likes me more."

Honestly, if Donnie were ever to kick it sooner than Archie did- which was entirely possible in his condition- he'd be perfectly fine with her being handed over to Iilak. Shiloh wouldn't have enough time to take proper care of her. Plus, she really did love the big guy. Who didn't?

"Fuuuuuck."

....Felix didn't. And Rem showed it plainly on his face: once holding a huge smile, and now nothing more than a deadpan, like his day had been ruined before it even began. There were always enemies in the team. Felix and Illak, Donnie and Marcellus. Luckily the others were none to hold gripes against one another, or else nothing would ever get done around here.

"I don't wanna do this fuckin' job, man."

And following Felix came Anwyllo, the head of their every operation and the voice of absolute reason. Sanest guy on the team. Coldest, too. Nothing could shake him. Donnie looked up to him a lot....literally and figuratively.

Gods, he wished he was taller.

"Nobody does," He droned, almost robotically. He must have gotten used to saying something along those lines every single morning. "But we get paid, and that's that."

Iilak hadn't even said anything yet. He only opened his mouth to give some sort of input- maybe he wasn't even going to speak to either of them, and was instead going to continue fawning over Archie- but Felix set himself a few steps ahead, no matter how blind the foresight.

“Shut the fuck up, Loch-Ness."

"Well, shit, good morning to you, too."

Anwyllo rolled his eyes. He usually had something uplifting to say to people, because he knew better than anyone how hard life could be, no matter how mundane or uneventful or problematic. But Felix- and lord knows Anwyllo hated to say it- was just a case that wasn't worth trying for anymore. Not to him.

"The boss'll be back in ten, and I have every intention to be halfway down the street before he does," Anwyllo announced. "I'll take whoever's willing to leave early."

"Dibs," Iilak kissed Archie's head and got to his feet, immediately stepping over to help Anwyllo pick up the three separate courier bags for their simple route.

"Perfect. See you guys at the stop signs."

Ten minutes, huh? That’s all the time that Donnie had to get up and get out of here if he wanted to avoid the boss. But time went fast ticking by in the face of his indecisiveness. If the larger bundles and boxes that Annie and Loch just hauled out were any sign of today’s workload, then Don knew that he’d have to take someone with him as well in order to get through a route faster than if he were by himself. But he didn’t want to go with Felix, much less with Marcellus. However, by the looks of it, Aella and Elliotte hadn’t even arrived yet- late, characteristically, even with an hour left before the shift. Donnie shouldn’t have even been surprised.

He was stuck with two poisons. One was just a bit more lethal than the other.

Ugh. Today was going to suck.

“Marc,” Donnie barked right as Marcellus returned through the door.

He halted in place with a flinch, muffin in his teeth like a rabbit to a wolf’s maw. Why was he holding it like that? There was no use in questioning it. Not out loud.

“Suck it down, red-head,” Donatello jutted his thumb toward route eight’s deliveries. “We’re out of here.”

The other spoke muffled from behind his assumed-to-be breakfast. “Me an’ you?”

Donnie nodded to keep it simple. His throat was starting to hurt already.

Marc groaned.

“I don’t like it either.”

Archie was standing before Donnie even had to give her the command. Any slight movement of his sent her right to her paws and glued to his left leg to support every step that he took, even if he didn’t need it.

Even if he didn’t think he needed it.

“Careful, little man,” Marc cautioned when Angelo put one of the straps around his shoulders. “Those are heavy. We don’t need you falling over again.” He must’ve thought that he was funny. So, so funny.

If Donnie were any less wise, he’d wonder how a bunch of paper mail added up to being almost ten pounds altogether. In truth, sometimes it still baffled him. Just a bunch of envelopes and sealed folders organised neatly side-by-side in a leather bag, and somehow just a few minutes of carrying them around made his body ache. But whatever. He could manage one and a few small boxes just fine, and luckily Marc wouldn’t have any problems carrying the other two.

Their route was a lengthy one. A long street lined with fancy houses and well-trimmed yards. Donnie called it “the rich neighbourhood”, because there was no way in heaven or hell that somebody with a normie salary was living in a place like this. Not unless they were barely scraping by on their higher-than-average mortgage, or living with a dozen other people to help pay it off. That might have been the case for some considering how much mail certain houses accumulated. Marc dropped off almost fifteen letters at one residence alone, and that didn’t include the arm-length package that Donnie had to drag onto the porch step. The only good thing about route eight was being able to look at all of the well-decorated lawns and to marvel at the architecture of each individual building. Otherwise, it sucked just as much as all of the others. Especially on hotter days.

Good thing today wasn’t one of them.

“Angie,” Marcellus huffed after a long unbroken silence.

Donnie looked up, puzzled. They were almost halfway through the day, and barely halfway through the neighbourhood. They hadn’t said a word to each other the entire time, and hardly any words to the homeowners, praise be. He hated when the homeowners kicked up conversation. He was getting tired. His head was spinning and his steps were less calculated than they were before. Slower, even. His chest hurt. He blinked a couple of times to try and clear his head. He wasn’t sure if it did much or not.

“What?”

Marc turned his attention over to Archie, and Donnie did the same. She was pressing her nose against the side of his leg, and when he didn’t make any moves to sit himself down, she  pulled herself back for enough momentum to boop her snout against him again in hopes he’d notice her warning. Of course. Right as they're getting to the midpoint.

“Explains a lot.”

Marcellus nudged him in the opposite direction of the driveway, toward the truck. “Go have a seat, Barbie, and let Ken handle this one.”

Donatello accidentally made a particularly nasty face out loud. “Would you shut the fuck up?”

Marcellus only scooted him away again. “And stop talking while you’re at it. You sound like shit.”

Of course. He’d hardly spoken enough for one day, and already, his voice was giving out on itself. He was weak. A waste of space. A waste of air. He was tired and tired of himself. Tired of this job, tired of Marcellus. All that he could think of on his way back to the truck was how much better things would be if he just…wasn’t here. He didn’t know where else he would go– where else he could go–but anywhere was better than here. He stumbled. Marcellus had said something, but Donnie didn’t catch it.

He was tired. He just wanted the day to be over already so that he could sleep…But then he’d have to do it all over again, huh?

Sleep…He wanted to sleep.

And as the world suddenly faded away from him and the ground came rushing forward, sleep is exactly what he got.

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“Don? Angel? Can you hear me?”

That was a muffled voice that Donnie knew better than he knew his own, and it slowly dragged him into a very hazy consciousness. His head was reeling. His chest still hurt. He peeled open his eyes to find that he was back at home, laid in bed, though not quite covered, with a very distressed-looking Shiloh sitting close at his side. Wasn’t he supposed to be at work? Was Wednesday just some elaborate and thorough dream? Er…nightmare. Nothing with Marcellus in it was a dream.

He tried to speak, but he struggled to make any sound above an airy groan. Irksome, as always.

“Save your voice,” Shiloh spoke in gentle whispers. They brushed their thumb across his head. “You fell out at work. I came as soon as I got the call.”

Donnie put his hands up in surrender before falling them back down into the blankets. And to think that he was doing so well up until this point. Almost a month without a collapse. Now he’d have to start back at zero.

Despite the strain that it posed, he forced a few words out of himself. “How long have I been lying here?” He sat himself up.

Karmello didn’t stop him. “About two hours, give or take?”

Two hours? He leaned over to tug the curtain aside for a second. It was dark out. Damn…He meant to stop at the store on his way home. It was his turn to cook dinner tonight, and the fridge was practically bare. There was no way that the market was still open. Takeout was a touch too expensive right now, but they couldn’t end the day hungry.

“What time…–” He took a breath. Damn this. He started to motion with his hands instead. ‘What time is it?’

“It’s only about 7 P.M.”

The store didn’t close until 8. He could make that if he left soon. He felt fine enough, aside from a raging headache and another ache here and there. But that didn’t come to him as anything new. Besides, they were dull. Shiloh shuffled off of the bed and onto their feet, pushing their dark, deflating hair back up to maintain its shape.

“You rest here, okay?” They softly requested. “I’m going to shower, and I’ll be right back.”

Donnie nodded. He’d be there and back before Shiloh was out. They usually took almost thirty minutes in the shower, and a few more just to dry off and get dressed. It was insane how one person could spend that much time in the bathroom. As soon as the officer was gone and the door clicked, Donatello hobbled his way upright and to the key-rack. Shit, he was still in his work clothes, minus the coat and the hat. He’d have to wash his linen again. Ugh.

Focus.

He pushed open the front door. Rain. He didn’t notice the white noise that was raindrops pelting the roof of their house until now. Now that he could actually see it. Inconveniencing. Looks like he’d be taking a shower of his own, too. He ran out to the car and hopped in as fast as he could to escape the weather before sticking the key in the ignition and starting it up. The windshield wipers were his first priority.

In, and out.

In, and out.

The car started forward. Donnie tried to avoid the deeper puddles along the road while he drove down the spiral. The last thing that he needed to end the day with was Shiloh yelling at him for getting the car stranded in the thunderstorm equivalent of a lake. Though, Shiloh wasn’t one to yell. Get to the store, get back home. Easy.

My head hurts…

God…

I can’t…see…

 Maybe he wasn’t as okay as he thought. The windshield looked so blurry to him, and the aches once fading from him were sinking their teeth back into his core all over again. He took a breath and swallowed down his unease. It wasn’t too late to turn back and burden somebody else with driving in this rain. He could find something cheap to have delivered, right? Most of the cost would go to the delivery fee…Yeah.

He’d forever be a stubborn sort of man. It always came back to bite him a few moments too late. He needed to pull over, but between the rain and the tunneling of his vision, he couldn’t very well see where the driving lane ended and the shoulder began. He couldn’t even call for help if he wanted to. Cars didn’t come with phones built into them, and he already passed the phone-booth at PointB of the descent. He didn’t tell Shiloh that he was leaving. Where he was going. An estimate of time to expect him back. He should’ve waited.

He tried to ease himself to the right and slow the vehicle, but the tires did not yield to the brake, instead spinning out of control against the water beneath them and causing the car to sway. Was he hitting the brake too hard? He couldn’t focus. Shit. Not now. Donatello fought to get everything under control, but the world was falling away from him. He couldn’t see the road. He could barely even see the lights on the dashboard.

What the hell was he thinking?

Something slammed against the hood and sent cracks up the windshield like a shockwave, but the sound of it tumbling over could not shake Angelo from his oncoming syncope. The car veered off and rattled uncontrollably, but for a moment of pure bliss, everything around him stopped moving. It was quiet, all except for the sparse pitter patter of rain that was once unrelenting. He felt weightless. Was it over? Maybe he already passed out. Maybe the car struck the side of the mountain and stopped itself, and somebody would come looking for him soon. He wondered where he was, but his slipping mind didn’t allow for much imagination to draw himself a picture.

It was so peaceful.

Everything was so light.

That was until the world shattered and buckled around him in a cacophony of chaos. The car alarm screamed out once or twice as its exterior sounded like it was being ripped away, and Donatello blipped out of existence and into a dark and dreary silence in almost an instant.

He didn’t feel anything.

He didn’t see anything.

It was quiet again, at last.

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But soon the ticking of a clock swelled into the silence.

[yandereunsolved]

I NEVER IN MY LIFE THOUGHT I WOULD SEE ANY MENTION OF JAMES RANDAL OUTSIDE OF JAMES RANDAL VIDEOS, THANK YOU FOR CHANGING THAT REALITY 💕💕💕💕

You're welcome! 🫶💞

Thank you all for enjoying that little bit of yandere James Randal content. I thought it was going to get 0 notes. Pleasantly surprised. Number #1 yandere James Randal truther here.

Platonic yandere James trying to look after zombie darling:

"Oh, look! Another homeless. This one is quite cute. I'll keep them. We can be friends."

"James, you can't just keep the homeless! It's rude."

"Are you two insane? That's a zombie! It's going to bite your head off!"

"Don't be mean to my new friend! I've decided to name them James Randal Jr. Say hi, James Randal Jr." Darling tries to attack him. "You must be on that fentanyl. That's no excuse. I'm gonna need to teach you some manners, James Randal Jr."

Ends up adopting darling (James Randal Jr.). Gets mad and has a fit every time someone calls them a zombie. Gives them the best beef and trash he can find. Gives them piggy back rides, as long as they don't try to bite. He even gets them their own cardboard box packaging so the both of you can match!

―

"Police officer! Police officer! Policeeeee officer! Over here. I have committed another crime!"

Darling groaning. James sticks to them like cheese on a Cluck-n-Bell burger. The force calls you his handler. Whenever someone rings in the James Randal code you are sent to the scene before he causes an even bigger scene.

"What is it, Mr. Randal?"

"Ooooh, look how polite you are! I would like to admit quilt to having an affair."

"That... isn't a crime."

"It is if I made my ex go boom-boom."

"You blew up your ex!?"

"Just a tiny splosion. I wanted it to be bigger but Osvaldo stole half of my C4! Something about making the stock market implode. Whatever that means."

"Who was your ex?"

James giggles.

"That slutty, hussy red-brick house across the street from that one crack den with the stripper clowns that do coke off each other."

"That... those were a lot of words. I―don't even know where to start."

―

Platonic yandere James overshares way too much.

"I threw up a pound of cocaine. And an entire ham."

"I once got a hysterectomy."

"I'm thinking of getting my landscaping license back. I want to make bushes like... penipises." giggles.

"I have so much blood on my hands. I can't remember if I ever had them clean." boops darling.

"I can teach you self-defense. I once had to shoot a turtle. And successfully did so. I have also taught good survival ethics. Like how you should always walk in the middle of the street. Ah, those were the good days when I was a youngin'. Gas was ten cents a cup and colored television hadn't been invented yet."

[gotham-at-nightfall]

"The vigilante anti-hero is fundamentally a critique of the justice system, an example of social failure, so when cops put Punisher skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher skull patches, they're basically sides with an enemy of the system. They are embracing an outlaw mentality. Whether you think the Punisher is justified or not, whether you admire his code of ethics, he is an outlaw. He is a criminal. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol. In a way, it's as offensive as putting a Confederate flag on a government building. My point of view is, the Punisher is an anti-hero, someone we might root for while remembering he's also an outlaw and criminal. If an officer of the law, representing the justice system puts a criminal's symbol on his police car, or shares challenge coins honoring a criminal he or she is making a very ill-advised statement about their understanding of the law." - Gerry Conway (Co-creator of The Punisher)

The Punisher #13

[vague-humanoid]

The federal government is going MAGA — fast.

Why it matters: President Trump has only been in office a week, but the departments under his command are moving with blazing speed to transform the federal bureaucracy into an army of loyalists.

The new administration immediately moved to freeze nearly all foreign aid, root out DEI programs, remove officials and whole offices deemed ideologically suspect, and muzzle public health agencies.

"We're getting rid of all of the cancer ... caused by the Biden administration," Trump told reporters while signing a Day One executive order that stripped employment protections from civil servants.

Driving the news: Late Friday night, the White House fired 17 inspectors general — independent agency watchdogs responsible for identifying fraud, waste and corruption.

The mass firings, relayed via email, appear to violate a federal law that requires the administration to notify Congress 30 days before removing inspectors general.

Amid outrage from Democrats and ethics experts, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) — a Trump ally and longtime advocate for whistleblowers — called on the president to explain his decision to Congress.

Zoom in: DEI offices and programs have been shuttered across the government, including at the CIA, Department of Veterans Affairs, Army and Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Federal workers have been ordered to report colleagues who may seek to "disguise" DEI efforts by using "coded language."

And Trump directed federal agencies to each identify "up to nine" major companies, universities or non-profits to investigate over their DEI practices.

There have been hundreds of staff removals or reassignments, including at the State Department, where far more career officers were asked to resign than in past administrations.

The Department of Justice reassigned at least 15 senior career officials, including a top counterintelligence attorney involved in the FBI's investigation of classified documents Trump stashed at Mar-a-Lago.

The DOJ also rescinded job offers to recent law school graduates who were placed through the Attorney General's Honors program.

Trump's National Security Council sent home around 160 staffers while Trump officials conducted loyalty screenings to ensure they're aligned with his agenda.

One of the administration's highest-profile firings so far was Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military. She was accused of leadership failures and an "excessive focus" on DEI at the Coast Guard Academy.

Between the lines: Trump loyalists have also moved to centralize control around public messaging, particularly when it comes to public health.

The Department of Health and Human Services ordered an unprecedented "immediate pause" on all health reports and social media posts through at least the end of the month, leading scientists to cancel CDC meetings on the escalating bird flu outbreak.

The Pentagon also ordered a global pause on all official social media posts until the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has promised a radical culture shakeup across the U.S. military.

The new administration is also moving quickly on issues including LGBTQ and civil rights.

The State Department froze all passport applications with "X" designated as the gender.

DOJ ordered a freeze on civil rights litigation and is weighing a potential reversal of police reform agreements negotiated by the Biden administration.

It also ordered federal prosecutors to investigate local and state officials in so-called "sanctuary cities."

Meanwhile, the Pentagon moved to abolish an office set up during the Biden administration focused on curbing civilian deaths in combat operations.

Zoom out: Trump made no secret of his intentions to build a MAGA-aligned federal workforce during the campaign, and he quickly imposed a hiring freeze after taking office.

The vast majority of federal workers are career employees, not political appointments, but the president has made clear he wants them all to board the Trump train.

His administration is currently testing the ability to email the entire federal government workforce from a single email address.

What to watch: Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, will be a key architect of the White House's efforts to re-engineer the administrative state.

Vought has assailed "the woke and weaponized bureaucracy," and said in a 2023 speech to his conservative think tank that he wants to put federal bureaucrats "in trauma," ProPublica reported.

"When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains," Vought said — comments he defended during his confirmation hearing.

[spiritvictoriawu]

Second opinion | @detectivejdarling

It wasn’t too often that Victoria dealt with patients outside of the Sanitorium, as the intensity of what she dealt with day to day was enough to keep her busy for several lifetimes, without taking on patients that could be dealt with by outside facilities. The only way her work usually extended past the Sanitorium walls was when she was occasionally needed in court, if she was needed to give her professional opinion, or conduct another assessment on the victim or assailant. However, the psychiatrist from the VC police department had requested a second opinion on an officer who she had initially analysed as part of an annual psychiatric evaluation. She had noted the officer had—among other things— “cumulative risk indicators and recent statement suggestive of passive suicidality.” Given the persons line of work, Victoria didn’t find this shocking, but she did find the name on the report to be very, very unexpected. Detective Joanna Darling.

Could she take this on, knowing that it was ethically questionable? Knowing for certain that Jo would likely be furious at her for doing so. But, Victoria also knew she was good at her job and despite her sometimes cold nature, she didn’t like the thought of this evaluation ending up in the lap of someone else. They would get paid for the sign off and do the bare minimum in order to achieve that. Victoria had accepted, perhaps because she cared a little more than she should have.

Victoria’s office was situated on the top floor of the old building. The rest of the floors were alive with constant noise from the patients inside, disturbing, unnerving, sad... Victoria’s office was almost deafeningly quiet in comparison. It was neat, various psychiatric texts lining the cabinets, a desk close to the window. The windows and doors— like all at the Sanitorium— were heavily secured, guarded by coded systems so that the couldn’t be opened by the patients, for their own safety as well as that of the staff. There was very little evidence of personality in the office, aside from various certificates that displayed her doctorate in clinical psychology.

The psychiatrist Jo had originally spoken with seemed to be under the impression that the detective may benefit from speaking to a psychiatric professional outside of the police department, but Victoria could only wait and see how much blood she could get from the stone.

Victoria waited patiently until the door clicked, notifying her that someone had brought Jo through the coded door and she lifted her eyes from the report on her desk. “Good afternoon.” She greeted, giving Jo a brief moment to process. “Would you like to take a seat?”

[sitehound]

Random Gumi facts because guess who came home late and is tired

She doesn’t like showing her injuries or will minimize them to not worry others. Hotaru once got so frustrated patching her up that he got teary. Ever since then, she’s tried to treat herself more or conceal injury. The doesn’t want to worry nor distress others without cause. She thinks she can handle it and she���s right for the most part, but part of her does wish she had someone who’d tend to her wounds without judgment nor scolding.

Gumi gave up smoking because Ichika hated the scent of nicotine. Her hair is also long to honor Ichika after her passing. Almost like carrying the weight of her with her in a more literal sense.

She can play electric guitar. She picked it up during college to have a rage outlet and it became a steady thing. She still plays on occasion but it’s a bit tricky finding the time.

When Gumi was still an officer, she was a homicide detective and had a high clearance rate. A lot of this was due to her tenacity.

Speaking of, Gumi is a workaholic. She’ll slow down for romantic partners and will make time for them, but if she’s single, she’s basically working all the time. Gumi is the restless sort of person who always needs something to do. This trait has been consistent since childhood and is why she tended to something high energy and effort like track.

Gumi’s resume is actually really impressive. She went to one of the top schools in Tokyo and was fast tracked to a detective. She wasn’t top of her class, but she was top ten for sure. Part of the berth she’s afforded by the Japanese government is due to her work as a police officer and her accolades. She isn’t allowed to do whatever she wants, per se, but they’ll look away if she bends a few rules because she’s useful.

Gumi isn’t not intelligent and her risks are calculated. The residual effects of Tornado on her mind have made someone naturally prone to thrill seeking even more so.

Her combat style is heavy on kicking and grappling. Being grappled by her thighs might as well be a prison sentence because you’ve been put into solitary confinement and you’re only being let out at her discretion.

She’s very picky with which yakuza she works with. This needs to be its own longer thing, but the family that she works with is one of those old school yakuza families with a certain honor code. Still criminals, but criminals with rules and their own sort of ethics. She doesn’t care for newer criminal organizations because they tend to have an emphasis on trafficking, whether it be humans or narcotics. These are the types she avoids dealings with.

Sometimes when a case has her vexed, she’ll get up and go to the fish tank near the door of Downdraft and pace around it, talking to the fish and venting to them until she can reorganize her thoughts.

[bloodngloryhq]

What kind of partner would vince want? Personality wise? Also, What face claims would work?

Hi dear! We reached out to Vince's writer, and got some good ideas for who could be a good partner for him:

A partner that is rather straight edge, follows the ethical code they swore themselves to, and does everything by the book. Additionally, or rather than that, a partner that is intense, experienced and damn good at their job to balance out Vince 'tries his best' Schwarz. That said, it may also be interesting to see someone that is a bit of a goof, maybe also tries their best and sometimes it doesn't always work out for them.

While his writer is open to your preference of face claims, here's some options that I pulled together that may work for a police officer: Jesse Lee Soffer, Alex Meraz, Sophia Bush, Berker Guven, Bryan Greenberg, DJ Cotrona, Daniel Sunjata, Deepika Padukone, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Luke Mitchell, Nathalie Emmanuel.

[tieflingkisser]

Israeli Officer Promoted After He Ordered Killing of White Flag Holders in Gaza

from the article:

An Israeli officer who reportedly ordered soldiers to “shoot to kill” people in Gaza holding a white flag has been promoted to the rank of battalion commanding officer, meaning that he may be directing hundreds or thousands of soldiers.

Haaretz reports that, in 2024, the unnamed officer ordered soldiers to shoot two people spotted by a drone walking toward a corridor in Gaza who were carrying a white flag and raising their hands. A commander protested, pointing out the flag and that the people may be Israeli prisoners who escaped Hamas captivity.

But soldiers said the officer, a deputy battalion commander at the time, insisted multiple times that they be killed. “I don’t know what a white flag is, shoot to kill,” he reportedly said. The two people ultimately turned around and were spared, but the commander was “berated as a coward” by his commanding officers, Haaretz reported.

This account was uncovered by Haaretz in an investigation last December, and reccounted by a soldier who witnessed the incident in an op-ed around the same time. That soldier, Chaim Har-Zahav, was apparently summoned by Israeli police to give a statement about the incident after the op-ed was published.

Officials are actively considering opening an investigation into the commanding officer over the incident — but, officials haven’t made a decision on the investigation for months, and he was promoted.

Har-Zahav said that soldiers didn’t carry out the order because it was illegal and against the military’s ethical code.

But the commanding officer’s promotion suggests, instead, that these sorts of orders are not transgressions so much as actions embraced and actively rewarded by the Israeli military’s high-ranking decisionmakers.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

NYT: Congressman D'Esposito Had an Affair. Then He Put His Lover on the Payroll.

Nicholas Fandos at NYT:

As a proud son of Nassau County’s vaunted Republican machine, Representative Anthony D’Esposito of New York knows well the power of political patronage. Every member of his immediate family has held a town or county job, and as a local official, he routinely helped friends find spots on the government payroll. Yet even by those standards, Mr. D’Esposito’s hiring decisions since he won a seat in Congress in 2022 have been audacious — and in two cases may have transgressed ethics rules designed to combat nepotism and corruption.

Shortly after taking the oath of office, the first-term congressman hired his longtime fiancée’s daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, eventually bumping her salary to about $3,800 a month, payroll records show. In April, Mr. D’Esposito added someone even closer to him to his payroll: a woman with whom he was having an affair, according to four people familiar with the relationship. The woman, Devin Faas, collected $2,000 a month for a part-time job in the same district office. Payments to both women stopped abruptly several months later, in July 2023, records show, around the time that Mr. D’Esposito’s fiancée found out about his relationship with Ms. Faas and briefly broke up with him, according to the four people. Mr. D’Esposito has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing, but his employment of the two women, which resulted in the payment of about $29,000 in taxpayer funds, could expose him to discipline in the House of Representatives.

The House code of conduct prohibits members of Congress from employing spouses or relatives, including stepchildren. Though Mr. D’Esposito has never married, congressional ethics experts said that employing a woman akin to his stepdaughter, who shared a home with him, could breach the requirement that members of Congress “adhere to the spirit and the letter of the rules.” A separate provision adopted in the wake of the #MeToo movement explicitly states that lawmakers “may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under the supervision of the member.” The experts said the circumstances could also prompt an investigation into whether either position had broken a ban on no-show or low-show jobs, potentially exposing Mr. D’Esposito, a former police detective, to additional scrutiny by the House and law enforcement officials. “There are lots of shades of gray in ethics stuff. This is something that is obvious,” said Donald Sherman, a former lawyer for the House Ethics Committee who serves as chief counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonpartisan watchdog group. “The House is trying to prevent members from using government funds to enrich their family or close associates,” he added. Matt Capp, a spokesman for Mr. D’Esposito, did not deny that the congressman had a relationship with Ms. Faas and declined to comment on his employment of either woman.

“We do not comment on personnel matters,” Mr. Capp said. “Congressman D’Esposito remains focused on fighting for real issues that impact Long Islanders, like securing our borders and ending the affordability crisis.” Asked to speak about the relationship by phone on Monday, Ms. Faas said “no thank you” and hung up. Knowledge of Mr. D’Esposito’s tangled personal and professional lives passed through Republican circles on Long Island for years, though none of it has ever been reported. The New York Times confirmed his affair with Ms. Faas with three people who had detailed knowledge of it but requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. A reporter also corroborated this account with Ms. Faas’s ex-husband, Derek W. Ciaschi, who said the extramarital affair ended his marriage. The Times reviewed text messages from summer 2022 that appear to show Mr. D’Esposito and Ms. Faas exchanging love notes and coordinating meet-ups while Mr. D’Esposito was running for Congress. “Love you till Monday,” Ms. Faas wrote in one characteristic text, adding a “💖.” “So much,” Mr. D’Esposito replied. “SO SO.”

Making Government a Family Business

Members of Congress have a long history of making nepotism hires, providing no-show jobs and getting involved in romantic entanglements. But a series of reforms have made the practices increasingly rare.

[...]

He used his council office to benefit family, voting in 2017 to amend the town’s labor contract to protect employees, including three relatives, from termination after Ms. Gillen became the first Democrat to be elected supervisor in more than a century. A state judge said Mr. D’Esposito should have recused himself, and not doing so violated the “spirit and intent” of the town ethics code. He faced no punishment. His willingness to help was not limited to blood relatives. Around 2017, Mr. D’Esposito pushed his connections to secure a position for his longtime fiancée, Cynthia Lark, in one of the town’s villages, East Rockaway, according to an associate of Mr. D’Esposito with direct knowledge of the matter. He also helped Ms. Lark’s son get a job with the East Rockaway sanitation department.

Mr. D’Esposito and Ms. Lark, a divorced mother of three, had been dating since around 2010. Though they never married, associates said Mr. D’Esposito introduced Ms. Lark, 61, as his fiancée, spent vacations and holidays with her and moved into her Tudor-style home in East Rockaway. Yet beginning around 2021, Mr. D’Esposito also secretly began a relationship with Ms. Faas, 38, a secretary for the Town of Hempstead who ran in local Republican circles. The relationship was serious and protracted enough that it broke up Ms. Faas’s marriage when Mr. Ciaschi discovered it. [...]

A Pair of Questionable Hires

When he took office in January 2023, Mr. D’Esposito largely turned to familiar faces, not seasoned policy hands, to build out his team. Only two, though, appear to have tested the limits of House ethics rules: Ms. Lark’s daughter Tessa Lark and Ms. Faas. Tessa Lark began as a part-time employee in January, not long after Mr. D’Esposito took the oath of office. She had just graduated from art school, and records show she was registered to vote at the East Rockaway home shared by the congressman. Payroll sheets indicate she was paid $21,181.94 over about six months. House rules bar members of Congress from employing family members, a prohibition designed to prevent them from exploiting government service to enrich themselves or their families.

The New York Times released a bombshell report on Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) about his affair with a woman who he then hired to put on his payroll.

[rhetoricandlogic]

Natasha Pulley delivers a historical thriller with intellectual heft

July 24, 2022

After embellishing the 19th century with alternative histories and fantastic developments in four previous novels, beginning with her best-selling debut, “The Watchmaker of Filigree Street,”Natasha Pulley grounds her latest work in an actual 20th-century event. “The Half Life of Valery K” takes off from a 1957 nuclear explosion in the Soviet Union, which blasted mortally dangerous levels of radiation into the atmosphere, and the ensuing coverup by the Soviet government. Exhibiting all the storytelling skills that made her earlier books so readable and popular, Pulley also offers a piercing study of how a police state deforms individual psychologies, personal relationships and professional ethics.

Valery Kolkhanov has been a prisoner in a Siberian labor camp for six years when he is summoned in 1963 to City 40, “a nature reserve” in western Russia. The area was deliberately exposed to radioactive contamination, project director Elena Resovskaya says, so that the effects of radiation on an ecosystem could be studied and species that develop resistance to it identified. Resovskaya asked for Valery, who did graduate work with her in the 1930s, because he was a biochemist specializing in radiation before his arrest. He will serve the rest of his 10-year sentence as “a prisoner scientist,” KGB security chief Konstantin Shenkov tells him.

This unexpected assignment is a relief to Valery. Viewing the irradiated desolation on his drive to the research facility, he tells Shenkov, he assumed he had been selected as a disposable enemy of the state to die “of radiation in a human trial.” Valery, who quickly confessed to every absurd charge leveled against him in 1957, is under no illusions about the nature of the Soviet system, nor does he expect other people to behave any better than he did; he was relieved to see his best friend’s name absent from the list of people he was required to denounce, because it meant she denounced him first and was safe.

But Valery is not as pragmatic as he thinks. He soon notices suspicious irregularities in the data Resovskaya provides that suggest radiation levels are much higher than stated, and he warns residents of the nearby town that their children are swimming in a toxic river. He gets off with a warning from Shenkov, but a colleague who shared his concern is not so lucky. When he asks why she was suddenly sent back to Moscow, Resovskaya snaps: “You need to learn to talk in code. [She] tried to call a journalist … and Shenkov had to shoot her.” Valery finds it hard not to speak the truth, even though he knows it could be fatal, and he is particularly bad at keeping his misgivings secret from Shenkov. Scattered comments, ambiguous emotional expressions and glimpses of Valery’s past are skillfully used by Pulley to make it quietly clear that Valery is a homosexual in a society where that is a criminal offense, and that his feelings for Shenkov are dangerously warm.

The KGB officer is among the many three-dimensional characters who give Pulley’s narrative human coloring as it hurtles through one horrifying revelation after another toward a bravura (albeit implausible) climax. Shenkov matter-of-factly carries out his frequently murderous duties “because otherwise a psychopath would”; he strives to save those he can. He helps Valery uncover what is really going on at City 40, because he fears the effects of radiation on his four children and his wife, Anna, a nuclear physicist who has had three miscarriages. Preeminent in Pulley’s vivid cast is the fascinating and appalling Resovskaya, whose coldblooded pursuit of her scientific aims drives the plot. She describes injecting human subjects with radioactive materials as “the most urgent and important clinical trial in the Soviet Union,” and she justifies every inhuman action by claiming that the Americans do — or will do — the same things.

Any Western reader inclined to dismiss this sort of behavior as restricted to the Soviet Union should think again when it’s revealed that City 40’s radioactive soil comes from nuclear waste improperly disposed of. “We used to use tanks, with cooling systems,” Anna says. “But when one of the cooling systems broke down, the cost of replacing it was estimated very high, and the physicists were asked to reassess whether it was necessary.” Safety procedures ignored or violated because of financial considerations are hardly unheard of in capitalist countries, and Valery also makes some tart observations about Western social inequities late in the novel.

Pulley’s broad perspective distinguishes her work from that of more-routine thriller authors. Studded with memorable characters and deepened by its exploration of thorny moral issues, “The Half Life of Valery K” is gripping popular entertainment with a pleasing intellectual heft.

[imagine-shenanigans]

ouhasgdkl;asjfklajoughoughough anon ty for the compliments ily <33333

You said this was like "strange friendship" but idk if you're going by way of platonic or romantic end goal so I'll have endings for both <3333 I'm also assuming you meant a Vigilante reader?

Also side note but dear dear followers and people perusing the tag who found this, how are we feeling about Jon Bellion's song Guillotine when paired with Miguel/Reader because it came on while I was writing this and I'm feral

Side note, I wrote this awhile ago before I changed the way I write, but I'm going through my drafts and I guess i'll just drop this while I write more for tptbp, since I don't think I'll return to it, at least for awhile

Miguel O'hara Police AU x Vigilante Reader (Friends to Lovers) (Unfinished)

Rating: T for Teen (Minors Still DNI tho please)

General

Miguel has always had a strong sense of right and wrong, and he's always wanted to protect people. As a child, this was a strong sense of justice that manifested, and although now that he's older he sees it from the lens that the ends justify the means, at the end of the day all he wants is to protect the city.

Became disheartened with the police force overall after he'd been in it for a few years, his bright-eyed enthusiasm tampered by years of seeing the worst of Nueva York, both in and out of the police force itself. He's dedicated to reform in the system, and he's stubborn, and that's the only reason he takes the detective position. It's a step above the meaningless work he felt he was doing before, and at least this way he has some say over who really gets the hammer.

In any other world, he thinks to himself, maybe I would be like those vigilantes.

They're all over the news - villains (criminals, he often reminds those who use the term) that fill the streets of Nueva York like filth. Above the petty threats he and the other officers typically get slammed with, real, genuine threats that he should be investigating. Biochemical warfare, robberies that span several city blocks, bombs, and genetic testing that alters the very DNA of the other humans in the city. It results in a frankly concerning amount of human-animal hybrids, and that makes his job narrowing down vigilantes even harder. Between the genetic testing and the well-known phenomena of superpowers, Miguel is up to his eyeballs in (figurative) red yarn and pushpins.

Surpsingly, he doesn't hate the vigilantes for their work. Sure, it makes his own job harder, but if he were a little younger, or if he'd been gifted with powers, he'd have been right out on those streets with the best of them.

But he only has mercy for the ones that pass the extremely high standards he sets. He promised to uphold right and wrong, and while he'll often give the vigilantes a head start, he's never actually worked with anyone... until you.

He'd heard of you, infamous in the media, even for a vigilante. Kids want to be like you, adults are torn between wanting you brought to justice and wanting you pardoned. Villains/Criminals pray for your downfall - most willing to go to great lengths for just that (other than unmasking you - villains and criminals may be just that, but there is a certain code of ethics still upheld, and unmasking someone on purpose is a huge breach of the larger game at play.)

He becomes... just a bit obsessed.

You've got a code of ethics, a moral compass, and you yourself are willing to go to great lengths to protect the city. You're kind, and you're smart, a clever thing that is constantly evading his grasp. As much as he admires you, it's infuriating at the same time how much he hates you. You let criminals off the hook for reasons he can't comprehend, you put yourself in danger to such great lengths that Miguel isn't certain how you quite survive most of the things you do. You're snarky, and kind of an asshole, and you also commit strange, petty crimes, and while he doesn't really care when you punch one of his fellow officers and beat him bloody when you find out he was being a creep to a young girl, Miguel is still forced to at least try to bring you to justice.

But you're a fucking enigma.

If you live in Nueva York proper, he'd never know it - you don't show up on any scanners, your bio-signs are unique in costume, but the moment you're out of his line of sight he couldn't pick you out of a crowd for the life of him. No paper trails - if you're buying anything in the city, it isn't with anything but cold hard cash. He can't tell if you're living hand-to-mouth, and the system itself is hiding you from him, or if you're just clever enough that you're constantly three steps ahead of him.

Maybe it's both.

Miguel gets obsessed, quite frankly, and it's a good thing that he's better than his fellow detectives three times over, because otherwise he'd never get anything done in the long hours away from home. The only thing that keeps him from delving straight into madness is Gabi, and her needs. After she'd developed nightmares a couple years ago when he'd been absorbed in his work, he refuses to put in overtime more than once a week, and even then it's only on days that Gabi would be over spending time with his family anyway.

[dzthenerd490]

File: Candyman

SCP#: AEU

Code Name: Candyman, the Demon of Five

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Memetic kill agents have been placed in the graffiti, products, books, art, advertisement, and other items regularly viewed by the public. These memetics influence regularly influence the people of [data expunged] to ignore or not care about the "Candyman Legend". It should be noted this will not destroy SCP-AEU but will prevent it from harming civilians ever again. Unfortunately, this is confirmed to be the best containment method for SCP-AEU.

Description: SCP-AEU is a number demon and a lore parasite that currently take the form of a tall man of African descent. His right hand is replaced with a hook and his chest is filled with ravenous bees. Unfortunately, even with D Class sacrificed to take samples it has proven impossible to capture these bees as they seem just as metaphysical as SCP-AEU himself. The physical form of SCP-AEU was made form the local story of the "Candyman" who seeks revenge after being killed simply for loving a white woman back in the 1800s.

However, it should not be mistaken as SCP-AEU has no actual relation to the man in the local tale, it just takes the form of him. SCP-AEU as explained before is a number demon which for those that don't know are demons that curse a particular number in a unique way to have people summon then and be devoured. In SCP-AEU's case, the number is five, it's summoned through a little folk lore game where you must say "Candyman" five times in front of a mirror.

SCP-AEU is also a lore parasite which are spiritual anomalies taking the form of local stories to gain power and influence. The more widespread the story the stronger the parasite becomes. This and the "Candyman game" have given SCP-AEU more power than any lore parasite and number demon on their own.  Allowing it to torment and haunt the entire community of SCP-AEU for decades. Shockingly, SCP-AEU normally just kills and devours those that summon him, but it is possible for SCP-AEU to simply kill those around them and have the victim blamed for his own crimes.

SCP-AEU was discovered in 1992, when dozens of murders were reported in the [data expunged] public housing project. It was reported that the rumor of the "Candyman game" reached some of the locals and after one of them did the dare, they all died. Foundation agents disguised as police officers covered up the scene as just a mass homicide and as instructed, damaged the bodies to further sell this cover story. Afterwards as a precaution a Foundation Field Researcher was deployed who specialized in lore parasite. They found traces of demonic particles on the bodies and in the building where they were found.

Foundation agents sent D Class to the area more specifically abandoned buildings with mirrors to see if they would be devoured by SCP-AEU and sure enough he showed up. Unfortunately, in initial testing there were Foundation researchers and agents standing guard over the D Class. SCP-AEU killed them all instead thinking the Foundation would pin the blame on the D Class. The D Classes were killed anyways as they were now acting as anchors for SCP-AEU which would lead to SCP-AEU's influence growing. From here it was determined that SCP-AEU was too dangerous to be left as it was, leading to the current Special Containment Procedures implemented.

Currently the memetic kill agents implemented around the [data expunged] community have shown at least 89%. Unfortunately, there are still those that play the "Candyman game" leading to incidences still occurring. As such The Ethics Committee has approved the implementation of Protocol "The Unknown Killer" to deal with any "unwanted variables". There has not been given a single codename for the killer and every time the public comes up with several others are to be introduced onto any dead bodies. This is done to prevent SCP-AEU from regaining its strength by latching onto a new story. It is with hope that all of this will result in SCP-AEU's eradication. Though unfortunately if it ever does happen the Foundation will have no way of knowing for sure.

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[natk2002]

The Rookie Rewatch - 1x19 The Checklist

Air Date: 9 April 2019

Written By: 

Elizabeth Davis Beall

Fredrick Kotto

Directed By: John Fortenberry

First Appearances:

Paige Thomas

Chief Williams

Detective Elena Ruiz

Last Appearances: N/A

Guest Appearances:

will.i.am - appears as himself in the cold open

Ben McRee

Kevin Wolfe

Craig Lawson - fugitive who skipped town when he was about to be arrested for embezzling

Vinnie Gemetti

Paige Thomas - LAPD victim-witness services

Andrew Gannon - dude who had hurt McRee

Chief Williams - police chief

Detective Elena Ruiz - LAPD detective, IA (internal affairs)

Nell Forester (voice only)

Cold Open:

Bishop and Nolan - silent alarm -> dude in parachute stuck in a tree

Injuries/Deaths:

Donald Lawson - stabbed

McRee - victim of carjacking at gunpoint, bruised and bloodied face, high from painkillers

Name Drops:

Selena Gomez - parachute dude mentions he was aiming for her house

Wilma - Bradford namedrops to Fred

Police Codes and Such:

647f - public intoxication

215 - carjacking

Lick Bag - slang word for a bag that used to once hold drugs

10851 - car theft

Pairings and Call Signs:

Bradford and Chen - 7-Adam-19

Bishop and Nolan - 7-Adam-15

Lopez and West - 7-Adam-07

Cases/Calls:

Bishop and Nolan - silent alarm -> dude in parachute stuck in tree -> stalking Selena Gomez

Lopez and West - assault and battery -> facial injuries from bar fight

Bradford and Chen - stop someone to help Chen get her meth possession ticked off, but he is clean, showing his 30-day chip

Bradford and Chen - passing counterfeit bills call

Lopez and West - traffic stop -> West tries to get a line ticked in the

checklist, but Lopez shuts it down

Bradford and Chen; Lopez and West - carjacking, turns out the victim is Ben McRee

Bishop and Nolan - Wolfe’s fugitive case -> go to funeral -> father is not dead and actually this was a trick to get Lawson to appear

Bradford and Chen - looking for stolen car -> lady says she’s using her husband’s plates -> Chen decides to let her up with a warning, rather than write her up, risking her spot in the final exam -> but she does tick the ethical dilemma box

Bradford and Chen - distruction of city property call (single car accident on the sidewalk) -> also counts as grand theft auto, and on a technicality also carjacking as the driver tries to flee on an e-scooter -> and then also a false ID and trying to hit Bradford, adding assault on a police officer, bringing Chen up to six (6)

Nolan and Wolfe -> bait car, cathing the dude who had assaulted McRee -> Lopez and West join the strike team as Jackson ticked his last box

Acronyms:

DRP - Disciplinary Review Panel

SOP - Standard Operating Procedure

Quotes:

will.i.am: Parachuting into somebody's backyard is, like, kind of psycho, bro. You need to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

McRee: You have a pathological need to fix things for people, even when you know there's nothing you can do

Bradford: What can I say? He got clean. It's inspiring, actually

Chen: I-I don't need a counterfeiting case. Bradford: Look at the bright side. You do need assaulting an officer. Maybe he'll take a swing at you.

Lopez: But that never gives you an excuse to ruin a man's life over a crime he didn't commit. Try that again, and I will end your career before you even see that exam.

Chen: There's no way I make this deadline. Bradford: Not with that attitude.

Nolan: The point is, yesterday, you felt safe. Tomorrow, you won't. But until you do, I'm gonna be here for you. 

Bradford: I'm not training a quitter, Boot. We fight until the bell rings. There's no other way.

Wolfe: The motor pool has your picture on a dart board.

Nolan: Car thieves are supposed to have car chases, not foot chases.

Nolan: For the last six months, I have watched Officer Bishop selflessly give to this city. She has made people safer, changed people for the better. And inspired me to be a better police officer. I entered this program at a deficit, older than all the other rookies, by far. But Officer Bishop showed me how to make my life experience work for me so that one day, I might be half the cop she is. I know I'm nobody in the department, sir. 

Bradford: Shift's over when we punch out, and we're not punching out till we get you a meth possession. Come on. Grey approved the OT. Let's go.

Character Lore:

McRee bought a ferrari

Chen still needs to be primary on an auto theft, carjacking, ethical dilemma, meth possession, a false I.D., assault on a peace officer, and damage to city property

West still needs to be a primary on high-risk crowd control, meth possession, and a carjacking.

Nolan doesn’t need any because Bishop made him primary from the get-go

McRee knows people at city hall

West mentions he has a spa day booked for them the day after the exam

Bishop has been a cop for eight (8) years

Notable Scenes:

will.i.am cameo in cold open

Grey talking about the training and experience checklist as a primary

Lopez scolding West for trying to “ruin a man’s life over a crime he didn’t commit”

Rookies at the food truck

Nolan seeing McRee at the hospital and then consoling him at his home

Nolan asking Wolfe to be pulled of the front desk

Bishop’s DRP

Car/foot pursuit and Jackson’s near miss with a mother and child

Nolan barging into Bishop’s DRP

Ship Scenes:

Chenford

Ethical dilemma call with woman using her husband’s plates

Chen getting six (6) boxes ticked on one call

Bradford getting Chen to pull OT so she can tick off her last box of possession

Timeline Attempt:

The Rookies have been such for six months, and have their six-month exam next week after which they’ll have no daily evaluations

Locations:

801 North Heatherly - silent alarm

Malibu - service for Larson’s father

1501 Melrose - assault and battery call

Beverly Drive at Oakwood - carjacking call

Wilshire and Pine - destruction of city property call

Broadway - car chase

alley of Chinatown Plaza - foot pursuit

Hill Street - foot pursuit

St. Barts - McRee says he’ll be flying there

Callbacks/Parallels: N/A

Music:

Nobody’s Biz by P.O.S, Four Fists, Astronautalis - Nolan punching bag

[Unknown] - West strut with gear and glasses

Bangarang by Doomtree - Food truck break

Preaching the End of the World by Chris Cornell

NOT KNOWN by Zander Hawley - end scene

Afterlight by Zander Hawley - ending montage

Applicable Ao3 Tags:

[no episode tag because no fics 🙁]

[gsgerry]

The Top 10 New Mystery Books You Must Read in 2025

Mystery lovers, get ready—2025 is shaping up to be a thrilling year for the genre. Whether you're a fan of psychological suspense, courtroom drama, or classic whodunits, the best new mystery books hitting shelves this year promise unexpected twists, unforgettable characters, and gripping plots. If you’re looking to update your reading list with some of the most buzzworthy titles, this guide is for you.

We’ve rounded up the top 10 new mystery books you must read in 2025, including one powerful standout: the Trust on Trial book by G. S. Gerry, a fresh voice shaking up the genre with a truly original narrative.

1. Trust on Trial by G. S. Gerry

One of the most unique releases of the year, Trust on Trial is not your typical mystery. This genre-bending courtroom thriller blends humor, suspense, and emotional depth into a story inspired by true events. Gerry’s sharp writing and layered characters take readers on a journey through deception, betrayal, and justice—with a surprising twist. This is a must-read for fans of unconventional mystery storytelling.

2. The Widow’s Lie by Hannah Grey

This dark psychological mystery follows a grieving widow whose past secrets begin to unravel after her husband’s sudden death. Packed with tension and buried truths, it’s perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins.

3. Before the Smoke Settles by Daniel Voss

Set in a small town rocked by a suspicious fire, this atmospheric thriller explores family loyalties, secrets, and the lengths people go to protect their own.

4. The Coldest Betrayal by Nadine Sharpe

A gripping detective novel introducing Inspector Alice Thorne, whose investigation into a politician’s murder exposes corruption that runs deeper than anyone imagined.

5. Whispers from the Attic by Lisa Renard

A gothic mystery involving an old estate, a missing girl, and a series of cryptic journal entries. Renard masterfully blends eerie ambiance with smart twists.

6. No Truth Left to Tell by Morgan Blake

This legal thriller follows a defense attorney who begins to question her own client’s innocence. With its smart pacing and ethical dilemmas, it’s a standout in the genre.

7. The Memory Code by Isla Keane

A scientist wakes up with no memory of the past year—and a string of murders points directly at her. A fast-paced thriller that dives into memory, identity, and guilt.

8. Silent Pact by C.L. Monroe

An old secret between friends comes back to haunt them when a body is discovered in their hometown. A mix of psychological suspense and classic mystery elements.

9. Crossed Lines by Darren Fielding

A detective must work with a hacker to track down a killer targeting police officers. Their uneasy alliance leads to a riveting game of cat and mouse.

10. Echoes of the Lake by Marcia Hunt

A missing person case takes a chilling turn when long-buried crimes are uncovered in a quiet lakeside town. Hunt’s lyrical writing adds depth to the suspense.

From debut authors to seasoned pros, these best new mystery books of 2025 are sure to satisfy your craving for suspense, puzzles, and page-turning tension. But among them all, Trust on Trial by G. S. Gerry stands out for its originality and daring approach to storytelling.

Looking to dive into the unexpected? Start with Trust on Trial—and prepare to question everything you thought you knew about trust, truth, and justice.

[newsreports-24]

Ferrari, Rolex, and TRP rigging: Audit report exposes malpractices at BARC

Renting Ferraris in Monaco, purchasing Rolex watches using company funds, and “changing” TRPs to get “desired outcomes”. These are just some of the unscrupulous practices followed by top former executives of the Broadcast Research Audience Council, according to a forensic audit of its operations.

The audit was done by Acquisory Risk Consulting Pvt Ltd, or ARCPL, a Mumbai-based risk management consultancy after it was approached by the BARC board and management last March. The board had decided to audit and review its records after receiving multiple complaints about alleged malpractices, including inaccuracy in its ratings process for TV channels and the concentration of power in its former senior management. The board included BARC chairman Punit Goenka.

According to the audit report, the BARC board specifically received a whistleblower complaint in 2017 about the manipulation of ratings in the English genre. The board duly informed ARCPL in March and handed over a list of individuals who could have potentially been involved.

ARCPL submitted its forensic report to Baliga in July 2020. Yet, no action was taken. The report was buried and only saw the light of day in December, when the Mumbai police began investigating the TRP scam.

newsreports-24 accessed a copy of ARCPL’s forensic report. It reveals a litany of alleged derelictions, mainly by a group of former executives – CEO Partho Dasgupta, COO Romil Ramgarhia, head of products for south Venkat Sujit Samrat, vice president for strategy Pekham Basu, west zone head Rushabh Mehta, and chief people officer and HR head Manashi Kumar.

Dasgupta resigned from BARC in October 2019 after six years with the company. He was arrested on December 24 last year in connection with the TRP scam and is currently in custody. His bail plea was dismissed by a Mumbai sessions court on January 20.

Dasgupta’s role in the scam came under further scrutiny last week when the Mumbai police released purported WhatsApp conversations between him and Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami. Republic has been named as being involved in the TRP scam.

Ramgarhia quit as COO last July and was arrested by the Mumbai police in December. He was later released on bail. Kumar, Mehta and Samrat have also left BARC.

ARCPL’s report says Dasgupta, Ramgarhia, Samrat, Mehta, and Kumar “manipulated” TRPs and violated BARC’s code of ethics between 2016 and 2019. The group allegedly “controlled” research and ratings, transferred employees who raised objections, and allegedly misused company funds to buy “expensive gifts”.

Quite damningly, the report notes that the BARC executives used “outliers, metarule and channel audience control” to alter TRPs and get “desired outcomes”. There’s evidence of this manipulation in 2017, 2018 and 2019 across channels in English and Telugu. The report notes “favouritism” shown to a handful of channels and suggests that TRPs were “pre-decided” in some cases.

Here’s a rundown of some of the violations detailed in the audit report.

Ratings were ‘drastically decreased’

According to the report, Dasgupta was specifically aware of “changes” in TRPs for at least two channels, Times Now and Republic TV.

In June 2017, for instance, Ramgarhia and Mehta exchanged emails about the ratings for week 24 in the English news genre.

“As required, Times Now numbers were changed, while Republic is kept the same,” Mehta wrote. “Republic is number 1 at all India level.”

The report says a “rerun” took place to “change the channels’ ratings”. Rerun means repeating the telecast of popular programmes to increase the channel’s viewership. Reruns of popular programmes can push up a channel’s TRPs.

Mehta wrote that there was a “significant decrease” in Times Now impressions and that Republic TV was “becoming No. 1 in India, India Rural, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore”.

Ramgarhia forwarded this email to Dasgupta.

On July 11, 2017, Mehta emailed Dasgupta the data for English news channels for week 27. “Times Now, CNN-News18 will be changed,” he wrote. On July 17, Mehta emailed the updates for week 28, writing, “Times Now will be changed.”

The audit report notes that “impressions of Times Now had been decreased drastically across the universe and 22+ M AB. The impressions of Republic TV remained unchanged.”

Here, “22+ M AB” refers to men above 22 years of age, a classification for measuring TRPs as per the News Consumer Classification System.

On August 14 and 16, Mehta emailed Dasgupta, Ramgarhia and Basu the ratings in the English news genre. “While comparing the details,” the audit report states, “we found that ratings of Times Now had been decreased drastically across the universe and 22+ M AB. This resulted in Republic TV rating going above that of Times Now.”

This is one of several similar emails that the report concludes show BARC executives pushed Republic TV’s ratings above Times Now’s. newsreports-24 accessed copies of all these emails, which are annexed to the report.

The report records conversations between Ramgarhia, Dasgupta, and other BARC officials hinting at the “prefixing” of TRPs. It points to a screenshot of an iMessage chat from April 22, 2016 where Dasgupta allegedly asked Ramgarhia: “Can’t we get ABP to no 3? We are encouraging India News by being no 3.”

Ramgarhia replied: “In urban ABP is no 3. Even last week it was. The outlier removal is having a major impact on ABP.”

What are outliers? According to Best Media Info, BARC has no mechanism to check whether a channel’s viewership is “organic” or via the landing page, meaning the channel that shows up when a viewer turns on their TV. Hence, BARC “relies on a mechanism called outliers, which is basically any abnormal reach rationalised and moderated by BARC, assuming it came from landing pages, or dual LCN or panel home tampering”.

In another conversation on April 12, 2016, Ramgarhia messaged Dasgupta saying that he was meeting Vivek Malhotra the next day; Malhotra was then the chief marketing officer of the India Today group. "Have preped him for no 2," Ramgarhia said.

The audit report contains several examples of BARC employees being pressured by the top brass to circumvent procedure. On May 31, 2016, one Seema Singh emailed the research team to add Sony Six to an Alpha Club report on weeks 17 to 20. The “Alpha Club” is BARC’s monthly communique on viewership data.

Sony Six was released as a virtual channel in week 18, midway through the period being analysed by the report.

“Sony Six cannot be added as per Research protocols. I have made that very clear!” Mubin Khan, a member of the research team, replied. “This is the final report, and there will be no changes in it.”

Four hours later, however, Khan emailed, “Based on Partho’s instructions, we shall include Sony Six in the Alpha Club report…As discussed with Romil, Research Team does not stand by this report.”

In December 2017, Khan was shifted to BARC’s projects division. He was given a “0” rating for 2017-18.

The ARCPL report concludes: “Even though Partho Dasgupta is expected to be the custodian of governance and ethics as he was CEO, we can deduce that he overlooked this factor. We have reasonable evidence to conclude that Partho Dasgupta aided the breakdown of governance and ethics in BARC, which had resulted in brand erosion in the market.”

Interestingly, the report notes a remarkable increase in Dasgupta’s salary over the years. He joined BARC in 2013 on a total salary of Rs 1.55 crore per year. In 2019, it was Rs 3.65 crore. In six years, his severance package had also increased from 0.55 crore to 120 percent of his annual salary.

Ferrari, Rolex and Gucci

In November 2017, BARC’s senior management went to Barcelona, Nice and Monaco for an offsite trip. Dasgupta was among them.

The audit report details a number of communications about the planning of this trip.

In May that year, Manashi Kumar emailed an employee of Magnanimous Group, a luxury event planner in Mumbai, to make arrangements for the trip. “Partho and his wife would like to stay on the beach (ideally a good property on the beach),” Kumar wrote. “He would like to have a car with him during his stay at Barca (he would like to know the choices although he clearly prefers a convertible).”

The Magnanimous employee wrote back: “Our supplier for the Ferrari will be at the hotel…for the delivery of the Ferrari California.”

On arrangements for a minivan to make an excursion, the email added: “The Ferrari of the CEO will go to the excursion too.”

The audit report notes, “Other members of the trip were forced to bear the expense for this.”

In May 2018, Ramgarhia purchased a Rolex watch for an undisclosed sum using his credit card. BARC reimbursed him on Dasgupta’s approval, the report says, adding, “Rolex watch was presented to Partho on his birthday.”

Similar expenses flagged in the audit report include an “expensive gift” approved by Kumar for Bollywood director Karan Johar in November 2017. The price of the gift is not mentioned, though the attached emails show it was bought from Gucci.

Additionally, the ARCPL report shows BARC introduced a “long-term incentive plan” worth Rs 8.61 crore for 22 select employees in 2017-18, without the approval of the chairman. The beneficiaries included Ramgarhia, Samrat, Basu, and Kumar, and the plan was payable until 2022-23.

Family ties

Aside from Dasgupta, Ramgarhia is the top BARC executive whose name features prominently in ARCPL’s audit report.

“Romil was involved directly and was in know of rating changes being done to favour a particular channel,” the report notes. “There are strong indication that channel ratings were predecided. It is possible that the data was manipulated in various ways to achieve the desired ratings.”

The audit team also received “inputs” indicating that Ramgarhia “acted in a manner which is in conflict of interest”.

The conflict of interest stemmed from Ramgarhia allegedly sharing “broadcast monitored data” on Bengali films telecast on Zee Bangla and Zee Bangla Cinema.

The data was shared with Eskay Movies, a movie production and distribution company which is a subsidiary of the Kolkata-based Eskay Group.

“Internal deliberations” took place in BARC over this request, according to the report, since “this data could be used by Eskay…for taking legal action against Zee and therefore, the legal team was involved”. Ramgarhia “defied” the legal view and “emphasised on sending data” to Eskay.

At the time, Ramgarhia’s brother, Rakesh Ramgarhia, was director of Eskay Theatres Pvt Ltd, which is part of the Eskay Group.

In a similar incident, Manashi Kumar was involved in organising an “Eid celebration lunch” in 2016, ordering food worth Rs 54,405 from a restaurant called Biryani Affair. The same restaurant catered two other BARC events in 2016 and 2017. The report points out that Biryani Affair was owned by her sister, but Kumar has not disclosed this.

‘Change the ratings’

In case of Telugu and Kannada channels, the ARCPL report points fingers at Venkat Sujit Samrat as being involved in the “manipulation” of ratings.

In January 2017, for example, an employee sent Samrat the ratings for Telugu news channels in week 1. Samrat sent an email to Ramgarhia, Mehta and Rajnish Rathore, saying, “We should cut TV5, ABN Andhra Jyoti and TV10.”

“We’ll have to bring down Sakshi n Hmtv also a bit…to around 10-12 points gain,” he wrote in another email to Ramgarhia. Yet another email asked: “Can we keep gain of TV9 to 25 points instead of 39 points?"

In August 2018, the audit report says, Samrat requested to “change the ratings of TV5 Kannada, NTV, ABN TV5 Telugu, AP 24x7, I News.”

Pekham Basu was involved as well, emailing Ramgarhia, Rathore, Mehta and other officials in February 2017, “The telugu news genre ranking needs to be looked into. TV5, ABN Andhra Jyoti and T news to be brought down below NTV. TV9 has gone down, which is fine. Please keep it close to NTV."

Basu’s name also crops up in the manipulation of Times Now’s ratings. On August 20, 2017, he emailed Ramgarhia and Mehta, “English News has some ranking issues. I have put Times Now under control on all days barring Tuesday – this should bring it below Republic TV. Let’s see after rerun. Team will find reasons for Republic TV decline.”

‘Breaching ethics’

Another executive to prominently figure in the audit report is Manashi Kumar, then chief people officer and head of human resources at BARC, who is accused of being “involved in activities breaching ethics and code of conduct”.

“It was observed that she favoured specific vendors and shared commercial quotes of competing companies with them, bypassed the procurement process, misused company funds, transferred people who raised objection on the manipulation of ratings, and showed lack of diligence in the handling of performance linked bonus,” the report says.

It also alleged that Kumar was “instrumental” in transferring Vijay Subramanian, the head of analytics at BARC, when he “resisted unfair practices”.

In July 2016, Subramanian emailed Ramgarhia complaining that the research team had been “forced” to change data. In August, he was moved out of his position. The report does not clarify where he was sent.

Kumar, who joined BARC in 2016, saw her annual salary increase from Rs 44 lakh to Rs 91.88 lakh over four years. She received a salary increment of 55 percent in 2017, the report says, despite the average company increment standing at 10 percent.

Update: A previous version of this story stated that at the time, the board comprised CEO Sunil Lulla, chairman Punit Goenka, and management assurance head Prashant Baliga. This was incorrect; BARC has clarified that its board does not include members of BARC India's management. This has been corrected.

[brianreyessanantonio]

Professional Associations in Criminal Justice: Advancing Standards and Innovation

Professional associations play a vital role in shaping the criminal justice system by setting high standards, promoting ethical practices, and encouraging continuous innovation. These organizations bring together experts from law enforcement, corrections, legal fields, and academia to collaborate on best practices, advocate for reforms, and provide ongoing professional development. Through their efforts, they help ensure that criminal justice professionals are equipped to face the evolving challenges of the field while adhering to ethical standards and improving the system’s overall effectiveness.

Setting Standards for Excellence

One key role of professional associations in criminal justice is setting and maintaining high standards for the industry. These organizations, such as the American Bar Association (ABA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the American Correctional Association (ACA), establish guidelines and policies that promote fairness, integrity, and professionalism.

Through their work, these associations ensure that practitioners in criminal justice adhere to ethical and legal standards in their daily activities. They provide comprehensive frameworks for training, recruitment, and continuing education, ensuring that law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and correctional personnel are well-prepared to carry out their duties in a manner that respects individuals' rights and upholds justice.

In addition to setting professional standards, these associations also evaluate and accredit programs, courses, and institutions that aim to improve the quality of criminal justice education and practice. This accreditation helps ensure that those entering the field receive the highest level of education and training, which directly impacts the efficiency and reliability of the criminal justice system.

Fostering Innovation in Law Enforcement

The criminal justice field is not static; it evolves as new challenges arise and technology advances. Professional associations are at the forefront of driving innovation in law enforcement practices. From adopting new technologies to developing innovative strategies for crime prevention, these organizations encourage members to embrace change and find better ways to protect communities.

In recent years, associations have emphasized the importance of using technology to enhance policing. For example, the IACP has advocated adopting body cameras, data analytics, and predictive policing technologies to help law enforcement agencies improve transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency. Similarly, organizations like the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) are researching and developing new technologies to assist law enforcement in investigating and solving crimes.

Professional associations also play a pivotal role in promoting innovation in criminal justice procedures. For instance, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) develops new approaches to ensure fair trials and effective legal defense. They also support reforms in areas such as plea bargaining, sentencing, and rehabilitation, aiming to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

Promoting Ethical Practices and Advocacy

Ethics and integrity are core components of criminal justice practice. Professional associations serve as watchdogs, ensuring that criminal justice professionals adhere to ethical standards. These organizations often create codes of conduct, ethical guidelines, and procedures that must be followed to maintain professional certification.

Moreover, these associations advocate for policy reforms that promote justice, equity, and fairness within the system. They use their collective voice to lobby for legislative changes and better practices, aiming to reduce systemic biases, prevent wrongful convictions, and address issues such as mass incarceration. Promoting fairness in law enforcement and judicial practices contributes to a more equitable criminal justice system.

Ongoing Professional Development

The criminal justice field requires ongoing learning to stay ahead of evolving trends, challenges, and technologies. Professional associations offer a wide range of resources for continuous education and professional development. Conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs are regularly organized to keep practitioners informed of the latest developments in the field.

Associations also offer certifications, specialized training, and leadership development programs to help professionals advance their careers and improve their effectiveness in their respective roles. Whether a police officer learns new investigative techniques, a correctional officer explores best practices for rehabilitation, or a lawyer gains insights into emerging legal trends, these educational opportunities help ensure that criminal justice professionals are always prepared to face new challenges.

Enhancing Collaboration Across Disciplines

Criminal justice is an interconnected system, with various professionals working together to ensure justice is served. Professional associations facilitate collaboration between law enforcement, attorneys, judges, corrections officers, and policymakers. This cooperation fosters a holistic approach to addressing criminal justice issues, ensuring that each aspect of the system works in harmony with others.

These organizations encourage dialogue and collaboration across disciplines through their networking events and forums. This shared knowledge leads to a better understanding of how different criminal justice system components impact one another and helps professionals find more integrated solutions to complex problems.

Global Perspectives and Cooperation

As crime and justice issues are increasingly global, professional criminal justice associations also play an important role in fostering international cooperation. Many organizations have global counterparts or partnerships, allowing professionals from different countries to share insights, learn from one another, and collaborate on international criminal justice issues, such as human trafficking, terrorism, and cybercrime.

These global perspectives are vital in addressing transnational crime and ensuring that justice systems worldwide adopt practices that uphold human rights, fairness, and accountability. By exchanging best practices and innovations, professional associations help raise criminal justice standards worldwide, promoting a more just and secure global society.

Professional associations in criminal justice are key drivers of standards, innovation, and ethics. By setting professional benchmarks, promoting technological advancements, ensuring ethical practices, and offering continuous education, these organizations help shape the future of law enforcement and criminal justice. They foster the development of highly skilled professionals and advocate for reforms and practices that lead to a more fair, efficient, and effective system. As criminal justice challenges evolve, these associations will remain at the forefront, driving progress and ensuring that those working within the system uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.