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On Law and Order
An essay by Isidoro Playero
However, the decentralization of law enforcement is not necessarily exempt from potential failings. Though the establishment of parallel charters has helped establish a strong check on law enforcement in the Crown Isle, it seems that the charters are more focused on policing each other than the criminal element of the city. In recent times, this neglect has led to the rise of Jacobin activity and has been such a problem that even the goodwill of the Lord Chancellor has been ignored by the radicals without repercussion. Time will tell whether or not the Rose Court will continue to be designated as neutral territory.
For examples of inter-Charter conflict, one does not need to look very far. Not only has the Arcanum consistently interfered with the arrest of Kathar suspected to associate with the Lich, but there have been instances of charter harassment by the Old Guard. When His High Holiness Julius Peirgarten was delivering an address to the membership of the Holy Divine Inquisition, members of the Old Guard appeared at the Inquisition's gate to "investigate" the source of the "loud noises". When Inquisitors are in the process of delivering justice to captured heretics, officers of the Arcanum have flown into the Inquisition Headquarters to challenge their laying down of the law.
What is more, only today did the Old Guard arrive at the Inquisition's Headquarters. Citing Regalian Law, they raided the Inquisition for helmets. This is problematic on two fronts:
First, there is no Regalian Law as of the Lord Chancellor's most recent state law overhaul banning the use of helmets by law enforcement charter organizations. Though it is true that Regalian Law prohibits hiding one's identity, not all helmets obscure a person's facial features. Furthermore, even if there was a law against the use of any type of headwear by law enforcement charter organizations, it would still not be illegal to possess these items so long as they are not worn. Therefore, the confiscation of helmets by the Old Guard was completely unwarranted.
Second, it is an embarrassment to have another law enforcement charter come and assert their authority over another charter unless expressly delegated that task by the Charter Adjudicator, as is their right. Charters are meant to be equal unless designated otherwise by the government, and therefore, in the event that there was an order to dispose of all headwear in the possession of law enforcement charters, the appropriate thing to do would have been to allow the charters to dispose of the helmets themselves. Otherwise, the Old Guard stunt was nothing but a thinly veiled attempt at asserting their dominance over the Holy Divine Inquisition through humiliation.
If the charter system is to survive until the end of the decade, these intimidation tactics and competitions between charters must cease immediately for the sake of the safety of this city. Else, it may be time for the government to revisit the old Violet Order, and study potential alternatives involving the centralization of law enforcement if order is to be maintained.