Bad boys,
Bad boys,
Whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do
When they come for you.

--Opening Theme, COPS Television Show

The police. The “heat”. The “man”. You see them almost every day in their patrol cars, on foot patrol, or directing traffic. Turn on the news, you will inevitably hear of them investigating a crime somewhere. Turn on the television and you will see them in action. It can be a live report of a wild car chase, a documentary on forensics, or a fictitious television show (“Just the facts, ma'am”).

Of course, such things only “scrape the surface”. The life of a policeman has its boring moments. There will be routine patrols, paperwork, and desk duty. Then there is the frustration. The bad guys are seldom caught overnight; it can be days, months, even years before someone is brought to justice (if ever!). The worst the weather, the more likely there will be a traffic accident which means the not-so-pleasant task of redirecting traffic in the middle of a nasty rainstorm or snow squall.

Then there is the other extreme - the terror! A routine traffic stop can turn into a life or death shootout. The thing seen floating in a nearby lake could be the body of the woman reported missing, the one who's purse was found in the possession of a known sex offender. A domestic disturbance could mean a confrontation with an armed spouse; the toy gun the kid is waving around could be the real thing. Finally, and most terrifying, there could be the radio call “officer down” - a police officer has been shot, maybe killed. On television, being shot at seems exciting. In reality, it is not!

Yet, despite the extremes of boredom and terror, despite the aggravations and pressure, despite having to deal with a public that is not always known for its pro-police attitudes, there is still satisfaction. The satisfaction can be large (as in solving a years old case) or small (a thank you from a motorist who locked himself out of his car), or that daily feeling of pride that comes with the right to exercise police powers. The police officer is no ordinary citizen, but has been given great authority by society. Even in the United States of America, with its constitutional rights and safeguards, it is understood that the authority of the police must not be challenged. Role-players take now take on the persona of the police in the form of COPS, the G.U.R.P.S. role-playing supplement.

COPS is an excellent description of the world of the police officer, and what a world it is. It is a world so similar to the sensationalized version the media portrays it is some ways, so different in others. While the detective may get center stage on television, the majority of police remain in uniform all their lives. Indeed, for every 100 officers, only 10 (at the most!) will branch off into one of the more specialized areas. There is fraud, “bunco”, the “grift”. Then there is burglary, or the more violent robbery. A police officer may work in vice, dealing with society at its sleaziest, always running the risk of being corrupted by the very crimes he tries to stop. On the other side of the fence there is internal affairs, the division designed to police the police. The testosterone-driven may wind up in an Emergency Response Unit, its members commando-trained and used to deal with hostage situations, snipers, bomb threats, or terrorism. Computer crime has led to the creation of “cyber cops”, police specially trained to deal with it. Finally, there are the numerous forensic sciences ranging from handwriting analysis to fingerprints to DNA testing, which has gone from science fiction to fact in less than a generation!

COPS then turns international, and gives an in-depth description of various law enforcement agencies across the globe. There is England, famous for its legendary Scotland Yard and ultra professional “bobbies”. France is mentioned, particular attention is paid to its two (that's right. Two!) police forces, the National Police, administered by the Interior Ministry, and the Gendarmerie, controlled by the Minister of Defense. Turning eastward, the police forces of Japan are given particular attention, the country's centralized and decentralized approach to law enforcement giving Japan one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The more clandestine police forces of the world, the secret police, are described with special emphasis on the former Soviet and East German models, Interpol is also reviewed in brief but thorough detail.

Players are given a wide range of character concept templates to create characters from the lowly informant to the “average” beat cop to such ultra elite federal agents or SWAT officers, with appropriate advantages and disadvantages and equipment galore to choose from. Guidelines instruct how to handle a crime scene, interview witnesses, secure a confession, and conduct a trial (remember, the district attorney is as an important crime fighter as any police officer). Turning to the international scene, the restrictions placed on the British, French, and Japanese authorities are also reviewed. The description of the criminal justice system ends, appropriately, with the “end of the road” - prisons. Law enforcement does not end behind prison walls. Prison officials (correction officers in particular) must be constantly on guard against prisoner violence, smuggling and escape attempts.

COPS in an excellent role-playing aid. Not only does it give an excellent description of the world of the police officer, but gives a good overview of the world of criminal justice as a whole. The important are described in a manner that is thorough but not boring. Criminal justice enthusiasts and GURPS role players alike will find it very enjoyable reading.

On a scale of 1 to 10, a rate COPS a well deserved “9”. It is definitely one of GURPS better booklets.