Chief of Security

The Chief of Security, or CoS, is the head of law enforcement and crew defense aboard the Torch. It is ultimately their job to ensure that any filthy traitors are brought to justice, that any hostile terrorist organizations are stamped out, and that any dangerous xenoforms are flushed out of the nearest airlock. They are responsible for coordinating the efforts of the ship's Masters at Arms to ensure prompt containment of any threat, and making sure that the Forensic Technician isn't contaminating any relevant evidence.

The Chief of Security answers directly to the Commanding Officer.

The Role
As with other department head roles, the Chief of Security's job is largely that of an administrator and facilitator, taking an active hand in department operations only when necessary. Making arrests is the purview of the Masters at Arms. Examining crime scenes is the Forensic Technician's responsibility. The Chief of Security exists to ensure that each of these personnel knows exactly what needs to be done, has the required resources to actually do it, and then follows through on their orders. They are also responsible for disciplining members of their staff who are a little (or a lot) overzealous in their pursuit of justice - harmbatoning prisoners is heavily frowned upon.

As such, the Chief of Security is not expected to actually pick up a stun baton and chase down every suspect personally. They may do this if Security is low on staff, but generally speaking, they should be acting as mission control and dispatch, rather than putting themselves in the line of fire. In the same way, they should be able to fill in for the Forensic Technician if required, and should be intimately familiar with Terran Law in order to ensure that all criminals receive appropriate punishment.

The Chief of Security is also responsible for issuing and authorizing arrest and search warrants. Without these, Security personnel are not authorized to make arrests. Attempting to make an arrest without a warrant is a serious violation of Terran Law, and can result in serious punitive action being taken. Do note, however, that specific requirements regarding warrants vary depending on the situation and the alert level; the Chief of Security must therefore be intimately familiar with such regulations in order to ensure proper department operations.

Military Justice
It is important to note that, while Terran Law applies to all personnel on board the Intrepid, and is therefore universally enforced. The Terran Code of Uniform Justice applies only to military personnel. Civilian contractors are not subject to these military regulations except under any special circumstances noted within the Code.