Security Tactics: A strategy guide

[Tombi]

So recently I've seen a lot of security related ideas buzzing around, but I've not seen a thread about how people actually play as security. There is a section on the wiki for  robust security, which is great but I feel there is more to discuss. Hence I'm making an open call to any and all security officers, from regulars to newbies, to discuss the good practices, helpful pointers, and tips & tricks for a security officer. I'm talking strategies folks.

Obivously no idea will work in every situation, this is purely intended to be a general guideline. NOT a definitive manual.
Just to get the ball rolling here are some ideas:
- What's your preferred loadout?
- How do you tackle specific antags - traitors, lings, wizards?
- Do you use a routine or improvise?
- Got any tips for increased survivability?

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Something I discovered is that if you hack a cartyparty vending machine and get one of the valuepak command cartiridges, you can copy the manifest program file to your own pda (must be copied to the system drive and not the ROM cartridge). Useful to check if someone has something they shouldn't, eg A scientist wearing a medical jumpsuit. You can also be a good sport and send it to the other officers, if any.

[Wisecrack34]

I get wasted, high and start hangin with the criminals, then when the time is right I arrest them (Unless they're chill or a spy)

[Technature]

- Got any tips for increased survivability?

One of the most important common medicine you can carry on you is salbutamol.  It's capable of keeping you alive for just a liiiittle bit longer if you end up hitting crit, and every second counts at that point.  It can also keep other people alive so that medical people have more time to do their job.

This advice isn't useful if the person has no air though. Then they're just as fucked with the medicine as they are without it.

[Eibel]

Salbutamol is a medicine specific to giving you air, epinephrine is a good "oh shit" medicine and it's in brute packs and regular medkits.
If you need a bandage and no medic is around, and all the medkits are gone, scissors/wirecutters and a bedsheet are how you make bandages.

Edit: forgot welders on wounds cauterize them as well

[NateTheSquid]

stop making so many seperate threads about security i stg

[Vitatroll]

LMGTFY

[Tombi]

Dealing with Changeling neurotoxin
A ling's sting injects 50 units of neurotoxin, which is enough to KO you for ~110 seconds. If you think there's lings around, make sure to pick up a calomel syringe in medical. I've found the ideal amount of calomel is roughly 7units, which should remove all neuro - preventing a KO if you are quick enough. DO NOT use less than 6 units, this is can leave enough neuro in your bloodstream to KO for ~20 seconds. Ideally you would put some calomel in a beaker and make some pills for a one click ingestion. Alternatively you may use 3 units of hunchback to purge it even faster at the cost of some stamina regen and possible food poisoning.
NB. for a while people were saying to use anti-tox(charcoal) it's way better, the wiki says it increases depletion rate by 1, with a 50% chance but this is too little too late, you'll most likely be ling lunch by the time the neuro gets removed.

[Superlagg]

Also keep a bunch of sugar in your blood. It occasionally decays into epinephrine, which reacts with neurotoxin to form unstable mutagen. Not much better, but the reaction makes it obvious you've been stung recently.

[Vitatroll]

Since we're doin' this again, I'll liist two more chem staples in addition to the previous suggestions:

- Painkillers/Salicylic Acid/Aspirin Pills are woefully underrated. They have a decay rate 1/4 of standard, slowly heals brute, lowers your temp if too high, and counters damage related slowdown.
- Potassium+Phosphorus+Chocolate = Smoke Pills. 10u+10u+10u could give you 60 working pills, IIRC. Take one when you've been poisoned/stung and it all gets flushed out of your system. Just be mindful where you vent.
- Not a third one. Just a reminder that chocolate decays into the aforementioned sugar which further decays into the aforementioned epi. I do this all the time to avoid wearing silly things like breath masks or pants.

[Frank_Stein]

• Use your PDA. Harder to intercept than radio, harder to miss a message, can be used when you can't speak so good for sending out that dying SOS
  
• Update people when ever you find a new lead. Do you have suspicions about someone? Say who and why. Find some suspcious fingerprints or glove fibers? Report them back
  
• Respond to every request. Not just crisis stuff. If someone says they're stuck in an area, free em. If they need someone to reattach a limb, head over to there. Building trust and being dependable means people are much more likely to trust your judgement in the future
  
• Be level headed. Measure your responses to the situation. Did someone break into an area and steal something? Instead of focusing on the act, focus on the consequence. Is there a victim or injured party? Do they want the item back? Did they take it out of necessity or maliciousness? Do what makes the most people satisfied
  

[SimianC]

• Use your PDA. Harder to intercept than radio, harder to miss a message, can be used when you can't speak so good for sending out that dying SOS
  

With one of the recent updates, the AI intercepts all PDA messages, making this even more useful. 

Keeping in regular contact with the AI (and Borgs to an extent) as security is never a bad idea, they have a wide array of tools available and it gives them something to do. With their cameras, intercoms, and intercepted PDA messages, the AI is privy to most conversations and goings-on that occur on station. 

The AI is capable of summoning the Port-A-Brig, Port-A-Medbay, and Port-A-Nanomed, to any location on station, potentially saving a life or ending conflict before it has a chance to escalate. Setting folks to arrest (or requesting the AI do it) and ordering the AI to summon securitrons to their position is a great way to surround someone or cut off their escape route.

[Tombi]

• Use your PDA.
  

Sound advice. If I suspect an antag has access to the security radio frequency I switch to PDA. Remember to pop it in your pocket!

Measure your responses to the situation.

Yesterday I found a copy of space law in the cog1 interview room and decided to read it. Paraphrasing a tad, it suggests deducing a motive for crimes which should influence sentencing. Sounds obvious when I read it; but that's what seperates manslaughter from murder.
Just on a slight tangent, I think evidence is essential. Where there is insufficent evidence you should default to a lesser crime you can prove they broke.

[Cyfarfod]

One thing I always do is take my two boxes (the normal box and the security box) and empty em out, keep as many cuffs as I need in my belt and put an emergency 02 tank in my pocket if I got one.

Normal (white label) box gets filled from medbay vendors as a normal first aid kit (2 styptic, 2 silver sulfa, epi) +a salbutamol autoinjector and a charcoal autoinjector. You have everything you should need to keep some rando alive.

Grey box gets 2 atropine (counters sarin in nuke rounds and can save a dude that got the holy PISS beat out of him) 2 calomels (obvious, right?), 2 more salbutamols and 1 saline. These are all syringes, so I don't deplete all of medbays autoinjector stash and so I can ration them out to last longer.

My personal philosophy on sec is you are AT LEAST 25% paramedic, because I felt (and it seems to hold true) that it gets people to harass your sec character less if you've saved their life at some point in the past.

[Eibel]

You sec-medics might benefit from asking medbay for one of our spare hyposprays, they work as refillable auto injectors, the downside is you refill with a beaker.

I never knew ya'll carried that much medical supplies so I'll try to help you gear up on that when I'm around.

[Flourish]

Hyposprays are the best things ever.

Aside from what everyone's already mentioned...

• Copy the portananomed program to your PDA
  
• Keep your PDA in your pocket and its window minimized (but still open)
  
• Drink lots of coffee (and also chocolate, like others have mentioned)
  
• Retreat is always an option, and calling for backup is ideal - don't feel like you have to rush into things
  
• Keep the crew updated and call antags out on the general radio 
  
• Flashbangs are great for breaking up dumb brawls
  
• It's almost always more fun for everyone if you RP a bit