Secret Police

In my work in progress I've created a government agency called the Ministry of Internal Security (MIST) and a section of it called Branch IX that monitors mages and all aspects to do with magic and the Faith. The technology etc is equivalent to that of the 1930s. The regime is a non-hereditary constitutional monarchy with a democratic system (loosely based on that of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933)) which is coming under attack from extremists from all sides because the moderates are seen as too weak or corrupt to address the impact of an economic depression.

What I need help with is fine tuning the secret police with ideas about wardrobes, tactics, functions and the sort of people who would be in leadership roles in such an organisation. As the protagonist is a high ranking member of Branch IX (I haven't decided if he will be running a regional office or the whole Branch yet) I'm keen to make the people who run it as far removed from the cliched Nazi stormtrooper / SS bureaucrat as possible.

I would also be interested in knowing if your novels or works in progress have a secret police or equivalent (such as an Inquisition) and how they operate.

 

What is the relationship between the government and the secret police?

In the Empire both Imperial and regional government agencies view the Ministry of Internal Security (MIST) as a necessary evil. They jealously guard their jurisdictions and get very irate if they think MIST officials are abusing or over-stepping their authority. While MIST agents do have the authority to detain public servants experience has taught them to stick to the protocols that govern such actions.

What is their relationship like with other law enforcement agencies?

MIST is seen as a law enforcement agency whose job is to "defend and protect the Empire and the Faith from any and all threats from within and outside the Empire and its Territories". MIST agents usually operate from local police stations unless the region has enough MIST agents to establish a separate office. Relations between MIST and police officers can sometimes be difficult if the investigation of one interferes with the investigation of the other.

Are they generally considered to be a good thing, or do they practice questionable tactics?

Generally speaking the public acknowledges they have a valid role in protecting the Empire but they also resent those who "abuse their authority" when dealing with "loyal subjects of the Empire".

It sounds like you're going more positive than negative with the organization, but I'm just trying to get more of a feel for the relationship dynamic between the different political entities. This is likely because when I think of the term secret police, I have a hard time not picturing something like the Gestapo or KGB. But all of that changes depending on how they interact with those outside of their organization, whether it be civilians or other arms of the government.

I had the East German Stasi in mind when I began to draw up ideas for the secret police. I have also read extensively about the Gestapo, NKVD, KGB and some of the South American secret police forces when most of those countries were ruled by military regimes.

 

I always wanted the Ministry of Internal Security personnel to wear civilian clothes for the most part. However, I want to avoid the whole Men in Black thing because one of the big problems is that personnel who wear the same civilian clothing could end up creating a de facto uniform that gives them away. This was a problem with the Gestapo: the leather coats and wide brimmed hats they preferred to wear rather than their uniforms became a de facto uniform - and one of the most tired secret police cliches in film and print.

The idea of making them similar to the FBI has merit. The FBI during the Hoover years often operated like a de facto secret police, especially during the McCarthyism of the 1950s. The Prohibition era FBI are also worth exploring as well.

 

When I first drew up the Ministry of Internal Security (MIST) I had the idea their agents would operate from local police stations. Larger police stations would have separate MIST offices while the smaller ones would have a few desks where MIST agents would work from. They would wear civilian clothing like plain-clothes detectives so nobody coming into the local police station would be able to tell who was a detective and who was a MIST agent. Having the agents in the local police station saves money (no need for a separate building), allows them to use police resources and allows the MIST agents to spy on the police and monitor criminals.

MIST agents wouldn't just be sitting around the local police station but would be out in the field investigating claims, interrogating suspects and questioning informants. The agents would have paid informants who would be in a position where they could monitor what is going on within a factory, an apartment building or other place without arousing suspicion. These people would be paid because they are people whose information is reliable and because they're discreet.

That was as far as I got.

I also had MIST organized into ten branches:

I. Monitors mail, telegrams, telephones and telex machines.
II. Monitors law enforcement and the armed forces.
III. Monitors radio stations, music studios, film studios, concert halls, places of public entertainment and publishing houses for "subversive and anti-social material".
IV. Monitors vital industries, trade unions and any sector of the economy deemed to be in the "national economic interest". They also monitor political parties.
V. Carries out intelligence and surveillance activities in other countries.
VI. Monitors tourists, official guests and diplomats.
VII. Protects the Emperor and senior Imperial government ministers.
VIII. Administers the penal colonies and concentration camps.
IX. Monitors the clergy, mages, educational facilities and shrines.
X. The bureaucracy of the Ministry. It also monitors the Ministry's agents.

Agents working for Branch II wear the uniform of whatever branch of law enforcement or the armed forces they work in. Agents working for Branches VII and VIII wear a plain green uniform with the official insignia of the Ministry of Internal Security sewn on their uniform. All other branches wear civilian clothing.

What do you think of this? If it helps the Empire has a population of about 100 million humanoids. The villain works for Branch IX but I haven't decided how high their rank is but he is at least a Regional Commander.

 

I know that France had penal colonies as late as 1953 which is what I had in mind rather than the more infamous ones of the Soviet Union or the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Methinks I should ditch the concentration camps. Too much like the Gestapo.

Maybe the powers of the branches could be curbed somewhat by the requirement they need a certain number of denunciations before they can investigate or that monitoring certain groups cannot result in action being taken unless there is certain criteria that have to be met. For example, a heretical statement made in a "heat of the moment" situation would be ignored but a persistent pattern of heretical comments would result in action being taken.

 

skip.knox - Your comments actually gave me an idea. The very fact the Ministry of Internal Security is so cumbersome could be a deliberate action to ensure the Ministry never poses a threat to the monarchy.

Being cumbersome could be a source of constant friction within the Ministry. For example, who deals with a mage in the armed forces encouraging railway workers to strike? Branch II, Branch IV or Branch IX? A Ministry of such size is also going to have jurisdictional conflicts with other government departments, especially if the rules governing which department is responsible for what functions aren't clear or a situation arises where more than one government department would be involved. You could have a situation where three separate branches of the same Ministry are investigating the same person for the same reason!

And, as an ex-public servant I've experienced these types of clashes both within a government Ministry and with other government departments.

Behold! Plot bunnies have been let loose.