What are some examples of what the police could be called in a dystopian society?

Answer 1

In dystopian worlds, the police are often representatives of corrupt systems, and characters find themselves in trouble with them very quickly.

Five examples of "Could the police be called" in dystopian societies are:

• V for Vendetta: Evey was about to be sexually assaulted, but the assailants were officers. She could not likely call for the police, because the police were the abusers. She was out during curfew, and was at their mercy.

• Hunger Games: This series is a classic example of what can be a utopia for some, being a Dystopia for others. The upper class of District 1 would likely have no problem calling the police for their everyday needs. However, the lower districts were subject to many abuses, and would likely do everything they could to take care of things themselves.

• Minority Report: In this story, the police used "precogs" to predict murders. The world was deemed to be very safe. In most situations, you could call the police, and trust them to do what was needed. However, if your name came up through the "precogs," you would be in serious trouble, and would not be able to turn to them.

• The Running Man: Convicts must survive a game show execution. However, in some cases, they were wrongly convicted. They could not turn to traditional legal help to save them.

• Gattaca: This is a world where everyone's fate is set, and overall, the system is working. However, some people were faking their DNA identities in order to gain the lives they wanted. It was very risky, and they would avoid the police at all costs, as it could get them quickly discovered.

Answer 2

This is generally up to the author. It depends on the story and the settings of that story.


Dystopia is not perfect
Bear in mind that a dystopian society is one where the conditions are not perfect. However in some dystopian societies, the rulers will try to make themselves and their police or security force sound like a utopian force of some sort, although they are not. Therefore you could use a name like:

• Protectors
• Peacekeepers

And so on. They sound like they are to help people when in fact they are just there to help the dystopian leaders.

In The Hunger Games, one of the most well-known and best selling dystopian series, the law enforcement is known as Peacekeepers. In the Judge Dredd films and comics, which is set in another dystopian world, they are called Judges.


Some other examples for you

• Metropolitan Force
  
• Metropolitia
  
• The Bureau
• Punishers
• Defenders
• Clerics
  
• The Catchers
• Order of the Atom (for a society decimated by nuclear war?)
  
• Confederation of Law Enforcement
• The Templars (would fit in well with a religious-based dystopian government)
• Section Five
• The Order of Peace
• Civil Protection Force

Try to come up with one of your own rather than using examples. Consider mixing and matching several examples by making a list and choosing the best mixes you can make. At the end of the day, it is your story, the police or security forces in your story should be something you are happy and comfortable with.


Real life dystopian forces
You could even use the names of real-life, dystopian-like police or security forces, depending on the setting of your story. For example if your dystopian environment is the result of an alternate history such as the Nazis winning World War Two and conquering the entire world, your police force could be called The Gestapo or The SS, after the real-life brutal Nazi German police force which once existed.


Existing fictional dystopian police or security forces
For comparison, here are some fictional dystopian police or enforcement agencies used in other dystopia works. Try not to use these unique ones as people will accuse you of being a copycat or unoriginal.

• The Finger / Fingermen (V for Vendetta)
• Agents (The Matrix)
• Grammaton Clerics (Equilibrium)
• The Thought Police (George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four)
• United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition - UNATCO (Deus Ex)
• Blade Runners (Blade Runner)
• PreCrime (Minority Report)

As a guideline, try not to make the police or security force sound "too cool".
Cool does not necessarily sound good. Try to think of a name that matches your dystopian world and the settings of it.

Answer 3

It depends on the author of the story. The author must create the conditions and society settings. From those extrapolate what is and is not acceptable.