Based on this short film I've had an idea (prior to picking up either Scion or the new Changeling) once I've finished Serenity.

http://www.fanfilms.net/index.php?cid=5&fid=1003

Sunnydale PD.  Hell Street Blues.

"Gang related, PCP."  

You've got a nice house for half the market price.  You've got more chance of promotion in this precinct than anywhere else in Cailfornia.  But you've got more chance of dying on duty than anywhere else in the country.  Except maybe for Santa Carla.

My question is - should I go for uniform or plainclothes?  Are the PC's clued in  to the occult or ignorant?  and do we try to expose the weirdness or cover it up?

Gimme your thoughts, dudes.

I always wanted to run "Sunnydale, CSI" who are in the know, but none of their higher ups are--so its up to them to solve crimes, stop evil, and mop up after everyone so not to cause a panic.

It's canonical (although I can't remember which season it's mentioned) that the Sunnydale PD are deeply useless -- probably because the Mayor wants it that way. The PCs could be new hires who haven't figured that out yet.

Quote from: balzacqIt's canonical (although I can't remember which season it's mentioned) that the Sunnydale PD are deeply useless -- probably because the Mayor wants it that way. The PCs could be new hires who haven't figured that out yet.

..but what about  the years AFTER Mayor Wilkins died in the school explosion?

 After all they finally built a NEW Sunnydale High School.  Also that last season or 2, the cops seemed to have toughened up a little - especially during and after the whole Dark Willow story arc.

- Ed C.

...set it on the other known Hellmouth: Cleveland.  IRL it's a city that's had to deal with a couple decades of Rust Belt depression, multiple ethnic communities, and a river that was on fire at random intervals.  The addition of Hellmouthy weirdness probably breeds a pretty tough Officer Friendly.

     The NYPD is also an intruiging choice.  The NYPD is an incredibly diverse organization.  There are Third World national police forces that are less complex.  You have beat cops, detectives, boat patrols, the ESU special-response teams,  Transit and Port Authority police,  even their own counter-terror intelligence units.  They are also famously not intimidated by the criminals they deal with.  During the pre-Serpico days, the NYPD attitude towards organized crime was "you pay us the pad money, and we let you live as long as you don't get too uppity".  In the Buffyverse, there is likely a specialized group who deal...forcefully...with demonic and magical shenanigans that threaten the city.  Call 'em "blackshields" or "the guys from Precinct 666".

    Hell, they probably have demons working in the department.  Joining the force was always a way for immigrants to gain power and respect.  The Irish were famous for it.  It'd make sense that the demonic communities that were less "grrrrr-arrrrrg" would have a few of their number on the force.  It wouldn't matter much to mortal cops in the known about that; after a few years, the demonic cop is as much a "brother in blue" as any other officer.