The Power to Act

With the passing of RPITRA, the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team became a fully funded and operational part of the Department of Justice, under the auspices of the US Marshals. This change created a ripple effect, with not only agents of RPIT becoming much more effective, but also drawing attention to the organization as a whole and requiring the organization to become more structured with an operational hierarchy and reporting responsibilities. Because of these changes, RPIT is no longer a humble backwater agency with no teeth.

Concerns have been raised lately over the police powers granted to RPIT under RPITRA and several legal cases are currently in the works challenging some of these powers, but for the time being, where supernatural crime is concerned, RPIT has a considerable amount of power. RPITRA also created a new class of federal judges, similar in operation to FISA courts, these new federal Judges are said to hold jurisdiction pravus and like FISA judges, are a class of their own with the power to adjudicate and try cases relating to the supernatural. Although considerable constitutional protections are now afforded to supernatural denizens the Pravus courts hold sole authority in supernatural cases until appealed.

Structure

At the top of RPIT's organizational hierarchy is the Director. Similar to the Director of the FBI or the CIA, the Director is responsible for all operations of RPIT, intersects with the Congress liaisons, and select House and Senate Committees, but ultimately answers to the President of the United States. The Director reports to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

RPIT has two broad organizational directorates: Investigation and Execution. Each directorate is headed by a Deputy Director who coordinates, directs, and supervises the operations of their directorate in accordance with federal law and operational guidelines.

After the directorates, are the Division Chiefs, which oversee broad geographic areas, typically several states which correlate to the domains of each of the Circuit Courts. Division Chiefs are responsible for the assignment of Watch Commanders, promotion and reassignment of agents, and the operational elements of their Divisions.

Watch Commanders are given responsibility over specific cities, or multiple overlapping cities in more rural areas, and are responsible for the deployment, assignment, and activities of the individual agents in their Watch area. They coordinate investigations and typically help the agency prosecute cases.

Agent Hierarchy

Agents of RPIT are broken down into three broad categories, or classes, which describe their basic functions: Investigations, Execution, and Prosecution. Investigation agents (designed RPIT-I's or "rip-it eyes") actually run the investigations, collect evidence, speak to witnesses, and otherwise act as detectives. RPIT-I's are the most likely agents to be encountered in the field, and can appear in plain clothes or in their vivid white body armor and tactical suits affectionately dubbed the "Wight".

Prosecution agents (designated RP-Pros or "rip-pro's") are rarely seen in the field and are responsible for the prosecution of cases in the Pravus courts. These agents are generally fully qualified officers of the court, and qualify within the federal hierarchy as federal prosecutors. While they work usually with local federal prosecutors and other law enforcement officers well, they have sole authority when trying cases tied to supernatural entities or concerns, and are the only agents authorized to prosecute federal supernatural cases.

Execution agents (designated RPIT-E's or "Reapers") are responsible for executing death warrants which have been sanctioned by the Pravus courts in accordance with federal law. Unlike most other branches of federal law enforcement, and the usual purpose of the US Marshals in capturing fugitives, Reapers in the field are authorized and expected to exercise lethal force against supernatural fugitives who has escaped custody. Reapers are easily recognized by the purple and black armor they wear which resembles a large raven.

Training & Recruitment

In the past, the individuals assigned to RPIT were often reluctant to participate, or cast into the group as a means of punishment or chastisement. Their training methods were rudimentary and their practices, guidelines, and equipment were not very sophisticated or particularly effective. RPITRA changed all that.

Recruitment for RPIT now takes place across all branches of civil and private life, incorporating former members of the military, SWAT teams, eager attorneys, and men and women from all walks of life. Thanks to the SHA, RPIT has also been able to recruit from among the supernatural community, bringing new assets and tactical abilities to their collective resources.

The training program employed by RPIT is a six month to year long process which involves not only physical conditioning, but also mental techniques to resist being compelled, hand-to-hand and firearms combat training, but also exhaustive comprehension of relevant laws, proper legal procedure, and methodology for dealing with various supernatural entities. Extensive psychological testing is also a part of the recruiting process. After completing the training program, the new RPIT agent is administered the Oath, which is identical to the oath sworn by military personnel, and are acknowledged federal peace officers.

After they are sworn in, agents are required to have a psychological evaluation every 3 months and are subject to random and frequent drug testing.

Equipment and Weaponry

The Standard VEK (Vampire Execution Kit):

• The department issues RPIT Agents with a .50 Desert Eagle primary weapon, and a .45 back-up.
• Religious symbol of the agent's faith
• 2 silver stakes
• 2 wooden stakes
• 2 sets of "IROS" handcuffs - A new metallic alloy which combines the elements of Iridium and Osmium, these new handcuffs are nearly impossible to bend or break even for those with supernatural strength.
• 2 clips of silver-steel armor penetrating bullets for the primary weapon
• 2 clips of silver-nitrate filled hollow point bullets for back-up weapon
• 3 glass 'Holy Grenades', glass spheres filled with holy water

RPIT has unique body armor constructed of next-gen military grade materials. This armor is distinctly not like armor worn by military personnel or SWAT teams, granting members in the field instant identification. The armor is constructed of a metal alloy with layered polymers, and is light weight, flexible, and resistant to blunt and sharp force trauma. It includes optics on the sides and back of the helmets that provide rear and side views within the helmets HUD.

RPIT also makes use of certain weapons that are custom made and designed the leading arms manufacturers in the world. These weapons are often field tested by RPIT before being utilized by military forces. Some examples of recently acquired weapons and tools include:

• Hellfire Shotgun - Designed as the 2^nd Gen iteration of the semi-automatic shotgun by Jarista Industries, Hellfire shotguns are larger and bulkier that other combat shotguns. Roughly the same length as a sawed-off double barrel, the Hellfire shotgun is designed specifically to fire explosive rounds of solid slugs, but is also capable of firing other specialized rounds. Hellfire shotguns will discharge another shell every 2 seconds, and have a maximum capacity of eight shells. They are typically used by Reaper's rather than normal field agents.
  • Ferret Rounds - Rounds designed to penetrate a thin barrier (e.g. a car door) and release a gas payload.
  • Bolo Rounds - Two large lead balls attached by a wire.
  • Piranha Rounds - Shells full of sharp tacks or other 'shrapnel', designed to shred tissue. Usually silver or silver-plated.
  • Dragon’s Breath Rounds - Shells full of chemicals that burn when fired, and can ignite a flammable target at close range.
  • Explosive Rounds - Reinforced shells that are in essence miniature claymore mines. Upon striking a target, the shells detonate, sending tiny ball bearings flying in all directions in addition to the explosive power of the small quantities of plastic explosive used.
• The MagnoBola - Designed as a tool for restraint or to stop running suspects regardless of their supernatural strength and speed, the Magnobola is a high speed projectile magnet with a quick acting adhesive. When it strikes a target, the adhesive sticks to clothing and skin with equal facility and then radiates a powerful magnetic field which typically slams the fleeing suspect into whatever magnetic material is closest and there holds the suspect immobile.