AltaLife RP Law Enforcement Rules
AltaLife RP law enforcement roleplay is based on San Andreas agencies operating under California law. Officers are expected to create realistic police scenes, respect roleplay rights, and follow department policy.
These rules apply to all law enforcement characters, including police, sheriff, highway patrol, investigators, command staff, and any approved special unit.
1. Basic Conduct
- Act professional on duty.
- Follow chain of command.
- Use clear commands and realistic tactics.
- Do not use police tools for personal gain.
- Do not target players for OOC reasons.
- Do not use OOC information for investigations, stops, warrants, raids, or arrests.
- Corruption requires management approval before it happens.
2. California-Based Policing
- San Andreas law enforcement uses California law as the roleplay baseline.
- Penal Code, Vehicle Code, Health and Safety Code, and basic constitutional standards may be used as roleplay references.
- Probable cause, reasonable suspicion, warrants, arrests, searches, citations, and use of force must be roleplayed realistically.
- Department policy may be stricter than server law, but it cannot override server rules.
3. Stops and Detentions
- Traffic stops must have a valid observed violation, BOLO, warrant, or other lawful roleplay reason.
- Pedestrian detentions require reasonable suspicion.
- Explain the reason for the stop when the scene allows it.
- Do not drag out simple stops without roleplay reason.
- Do not fish for charges with no lawful basis.
- Do not abuse cuffing, dragging, searching, impound, jail, MDT, evidence, spike strips, or tracking tools.
4. Searches, Arrests, and Rights
- Searches need consent, probable cause, arrest, warrant, plain-view reason, or another valid roleplay exception.
- Arrests must have probable cause.
- Charges should match the facts of the scene.
- Do not stack unrealistic charges.
- Miranda-style rights should be used before custodial questioning when appropriate.
- Reports, evidence, and jail times must be honest.
5. Use of Force
- Use only the amount of force that fits the threat.
- Verbal commands should be attempted when practical.
- Less-lethal options should be used when reasonable.
- Deadly force requires an immediate threat of death or serious injury.
- Do not shoot fleeing suspects only because they are running.
- Do not mag dump, revenge shoot, or use force to win OOC.
- Medical aid should be requested after force when the scene is safe.
6. Pursuit Rules
- Pursuits must be realistic for the vehicle, road, traffic, weather, and danger level.
- Do not drive like a supercar unless your vehicle and conditions support it.
- Do not intentionally ram without valid tactic approval or clear emergency reason.
- PIT maximum speed is 95 mph / 153 km/h.
- Departments may lower the PIT maximum speed, but departments may not raise it above 95 mph / 153 km/h.
- Grappler maximum speed is 130 mph / 209 km/h unless department policy lowers it.
- Spike strips, roadblocks, and intercepts must be placed realistically.
- End pursuits when the danger clearly outweighs the reason for the stop, unless command authorizes continuing.
7. PIT and Grappler Standards
- PIT must be used only when the suspect, traffic, location, and speed make it reasonable.
- Do not PIT near crowds, heavy traffic, sharp drops, tight bridges, or other obviously deadly areas unless the threat justifies it.
- PIT is capped at 95 mph / 153 km/h server-wide.
- A department can set a lower PIT cap, such as 80 mph / 129 km/h, but cannot approve anything higher than 95 mph / 153 km/h.
- Grappler is capped at 130 mph / 209 km/h server-wide.
- A department can set a lower grappler cap, but cannot approve anything higher than 130 mph / 209 km/h.
8. Equipment and Vehicles
- Use department vehicles for their intended purpose.
- Do not joyride emergency vehicles.
- Do not use lights and sirens without a valid call, stop, response, transport, escort, or department reason.
- Do not abuse ALPR, MDT, bodycam, dashcam, radar, evidence, tracking, or surveillance tools.
- Long guns, tactical gear, aircraft, and special equipment require department permission.
9. Scenes With Civilians
- Give civilians room to roleplay.
- Do not treat every civilian like a criminal.
- Do not escalate simple conversations into arrests without reason.
- Respect legal jobs and public service roleplay.
- Do not camp criminal areas without investigative reason or command approval.
- Do not bait criminals into charges.
10. Reports and Accountability
- Write reports when department policy requires them.
- Be honest in reports, evidence notes, citations, and arrests.
- Bodycam, dashcam, and MDT roleplay must be used consistently.
- Command staff may review force, pursuits, arrests, and complaints.
- Misuse of law enforcement access can lead to department removal, staff punishment, or both.
Final Rule
Law enforcement exists to create high-quality roleplay, not to win every scene. If an officer action would be unrealistic, unfair, or abusive, do not do it.