Two Cyborg Law Enforcement Offficers

[Venator]

Robocop wins durability hands down (jump to the last couple minutes for a bit of a comparison vs. a T-800 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLjlnoAT_ns), and only knowing her personality from the linked clips I would hand Murphy reliability as well (given that she repeatedly fired point-blank rounds at a disabled enemy who was begging for assistance).

What about the visibility aspect though? Wouldn't it be better to have a cyborg like the Terminator (encased in flesh and looking identical to humans) than a walking tank on the street? I would think having a human-looking cyborg cop would make it easier to work with civilians (who may not even know a specific individual is a cyborg to begin with)...

This could go both ways. A point could be made people would be happier with an easily identified cyborg than with one that looks like an ordinary human if they know there are cyborgs amongst the police.

It also depends how they are presented. Robocop looks like a walking tank (or in the reboot version, looks like a stealth fighter... great public image, there). If you painted him up like a police cruiser - something like white with blue & red stripes and "To Serve and Protect" emblazoned on his back* - he'd look like a police cyborg rather than a killer cyborg.

*Or, wait, Mountie dress uniform. Let's go with that.

[Broomstick]

What about the visibility aspect though? Wouldn't it be better to have a cyborg like the Terminator (encased in flesh and looking identical to humans) than a walking tank on the street? I would think having a human-looking cyborg cop would make it easier to work with civilians (who may not even know a specific individual is a cyborg to begin with)...

Used to be in real life a huge premium was put on making a prosthesis cosmetically appealing/human looking... but now we get people tromping around on visibly artificial legs, very mechanical, sometimes ornamented with anything but realistic colors and trimmings. No one seems to give a damn, kids don't run screaming in panic, etc.

Murphy has always been presented as a human cop horribly injured/nearly killed and then rebuilt. Presented as a prosthesis in today's world I don't think the visibility aspect is a problem. Buff him up/repaint him for public appearances and formal occasions and you're good.

[Borgholio]

Used to be in real life a huge premium was put on making a prosthesis cosmetically appealing/human looking... but now we get people tromping around on visibly artificial legs, very mechanical, sometimes ornamented with anything but realistic colors and trimmings. No one seems to give a damn, kids don't run screaming in panic, etc.

True, but the average person with a prosthetic is not a cop. If people distrust police as much as they do these days, then a heavily armed cop that can kill you with absolutely zero effort is going to scare people. I'm not sure a simple paint job is going to help. The cop is going to have to build reputation and trust...demonstrate that it's safer and better than human cops.

[Broomstick]

Not "it". Murphy is a "he".

...demonstrate that HE is safer and better than MERELY human cops.

You don't prove Murphy is as good or better than a human cop - you maintain Murphy IS a human cop, albeit one with an extensive prosthesis.

And the whole trust/don't trust cop thing is more complicated than merely "people don't like cops". That's not exactly true, it's a love-hate relationship more than just pure mistrust.

While the average person with a prosthetic is not a cop (in fact, having one usually disqualifies you from that job) a LOT of them are former soldiers, which are venerated to a ridiculous amount at times in this country. That's one reason having an obvious artificial leg or arm isn't seen in the same way it used to - it's a "badge of honor", a war wound, a mark of courage, or some such in many peoples' eyes. At least when on a relatively young person.

Better functionality factors into it, too - the more functional artificial bits become the less stigma attached to them. There's no question Murphy's replacement parts are very functional.

[Gandalf]

Neither. But if I have to pick one, I'm going with Murphy, cause I at least know how he ticks. Never heard of the jap gal.

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the slang abbreviation you used for Japanese is considered a racial slur.

It very much is.

Robocop is awesome and uncorruptible.

Except for Directive IV, and his relatively easy reprogrammability by the police dept.

[RogueIce]

Put a visible badge on him, paint the department's logo on his shoulders and maybe write POLICE across his back (and possibly forehead) and you're good to go.

Honestly the whole "people fear police" thing is a bit overblown anyway. Sure he'll stand out a great degree, but just show off what he can do. Assuming of course in this scenario they don't just recognize him from the movies and know what he can do and, most importantly, what he won't do. Like accept corruption, even if it damn near kills him.

Except for Directive IV, and his relatively easy reprogrammability by the police dept.

He will go damn near suicidal to get through that if it's some bad reprogramming making him do bad things in there. That incorruptible Alex Murphy is ultimately in control, not his directives and programming.

[Broomstick]

Honestly the whole "people fear police" thing is a bit overblown anyway. Sure he'll stand out a great degree, but just show off what he can do. Assuming of course in this scenario they don't just recognize him from the movies and know what he can do and, most importantly, what he won't do. Like accept corruption, even if it damn near kills him.

Yes, he's a hero cop.

When cops save your ass you love them. It's the bad cops people fear, and of course bad people fear even good cops.

I see cops every day. At work they come in and shop just like normal people at the beginning/end/middle of a work day, in full uniform, gun/taser on hip, etc. No one gives a damn, no one cringes in fear (well, maybe shoplifters). They're just people, after all.

Except for Directive IV, and his relatively easy reprogrammability by the police dept.

He will go damn near suicidal to get through that if it's some bad reprogramming making him do bad things in there. That incorruptible Alex Murphy is ultimately in control, not his directives and programming.

^ This.

[Enigma]

I most remember RoboCop from the 90's T.V. series and nothing about GitS. So I choose him.

On a side note, I am trying to find a particular clip of RoboCop (T.V. series) bringing a truck to a dead stop while using heel spikes to remain unmoved.

EDIT: Oh, and if RoboCop is to be painted, let him be painted to look like he's wearing a uniform and NOT look like a cheesy version of the Iron Patriot.

[biostem]

IMO, the character from Ghost in the Shell has superior bionics/cybernetics. Heck, IIRC, she doesn't actually have any organic parts left, (the "ghost" mentioned in the title of the show represents some sort of non-physical tag/characteristic that distinguishes cyber'd-up humans from straight AIs). Shes been shown to cloak, move between bodies, and is much faster than robo. That being said, I think Murphy may actually be an easier sell to the public, with the whole "saved soldier" angle.

As another poster mentioned, I'd probably give Robo a dark blue paintjob to make his armor look more like regular cops' uniforms.

[Gandalf]

Except for Directive IV, and his relatively easy reprogrammability by the police dept.

He will go damn near suicidal to get through that if it's some bad reprogramming making him do bad things in there. That incorruptible Alex Murphy is ultimately in control, not his directives and programming.

Yeah, but his successes come from his sidestepping of his problematic programming or third parties eliminating it. In Robocop, he needs the Old Man to fire Dick Jones before moving against him. In Robocop II, he has to electrocute himself, forcing a reboot to get rid of the PR regulations but presumably not Directive 4. In Robocop III the resistance reprogram him to eliminate Directive 4. Murphy may ultimately be in control, but he has to jump through some crazy hoops to get there.

[RogueIce]

Except for Directive IV, and his relatively easy reprogrammability by the police dept.

He will go damn near suicidal to get through that if it's some bad reprogramming making him do bad things in there. That incorruptible Alex Murphy is ultimately in control, not his directives and programming.

Yeah, but his successes come from his sidestepping of his problematic programming or third parties eliminating it. In Robocop, he needs the Old Man to fire Dick Jones before moving against him. In Robocop II, he has to electrocute himself, forcing a reboot to get rid of the PR regulations but presumably not Directive 4. In Robocop III the resistance reprogram him to eliminate Directive 4. Murphy may ultimately be in control, but he has to jump through some crazy hoops to get there.

True, but my main point is that he will jump through those crazy hoops if he winds up with some kind of malicious programming. So I don't think it's a detriment to say he's "easily reprogrammed" by the police department.

And even so, I doubt many PDs will be moustache-twirling villains and program him with "murder unarmed black people" as Directive 5 or whatever.

[K. A. Pital]

Motoko Kusanagi.

I mean, come on. The criminals in Siberia would rip Murphy apart for spare parts and rare metals, while people would freak out. Kusanagi is a special forces member and controlled directly by the highest officials.

At least she can't be set up by some local mafia boss... like a city mayor or governor.

I think the place would massively benefit from a cyborg that is good at killing kingpins.

[Highlord Laan]

I'd go with Officer Murphy, too. As a police officer, he was top tier and incorruptible. As Robocop, he's that and practically unstoppable. As a bonus, he wouldn't be shooting/tazing kids, elderly, pregnant women and brown people in general while "fearing for his life."

Kusanagi could do the beat cop routine, but it would probably drive her batty. She's less a police officer and more of a SF/SWAT operative. He skillset doesn't lend itself well to daily interactions with regular people.

As a contender for cyborg cop though, I'd also nominate Naomi Armitage. She's smarmy, flirty, and would probably end up breaking a perps knees for trying something stupid, but she actually was a police officer. A Detective for Special Investigations on Mars, but still a police officer.

[Sea Skimmer]

Motoko Kusanagi.

I mean, come on. The criminals in Siberia would rip Murphy apart for spare parts and rare metals, while people would freak out. Kusanagi is a special forces member and controlled directly by the highest officials.

And would still die from a decent sized bomb planted on her car, so I think your belief Robocop is vulnerable is misplaced. One of his major advantages is he simply doesn't need to do anything but be a cop, and whatever sleep he needs is accomplished in a fortified police HQ, while Kusanagi still wants to be a very independent person which means a life and all the vulnerability that brings.

[FaxModem1]

Motoko Kusanagi.

I mean, come on. The criminals in Siberia would rip Murphy apart for spare parts and rare metals, while people would freak out. Kusanagi is a special forces member and controlled directly by the highest officials.

At least she can't be set up by some local mafia boss... like a city mayor or governor.

I think the place would massively benefit from a cyborg that is good at killing kingpins.

Are the people of Siberia bullet proof, invulnerable to being stabbed by Robocop's data spike, and have access to anti-tank weaponry? Because that's really the only way they'll be able to take him down. Robocop has proven to take down entire warehouses full of machine gun armed criminals, killer cyborgs and robots, and emerged the winner.

Also, if needed Robocop can fly.

[K. A. Pital]

If needed, AT weaponry is the first thing hardcore criminals get. I think that both cyborgs are far from being invulnerable. That memorable barrage in the original Robocop almost killed the character, IIRC. That aside, I would not trust a machine provided by an American corporation called "OmniCorp". The whole plot is focused on the Robocop going against OmniCorp programming and malevolent lits, but why would I want to take that risk... They seem to kill more innocent and caught-inbetween people in the films than Kusanagi's undercover operations.

[Jub]

If needed, AT weaponry is the first thing hardcore criminals get. I think that both cyborgs are far from being invulnerable. That memorable barrage in the original Robocop almost killed the character, IIRC. That aside, I would not trust a machine provided by an American corporation called "OmniCorp". The whole plot is focused on the Robocop going against OmniCorp programming and malevolent lits, but why would I want to take that risk... They seem to kill more innocent and caught-inbetween people in the films than Kusanagi's undercover operations.

Kusanagi also has the better chance of escaping and evading the people who might be after her by virtue of her greater speed and stealth. If we assume that she can be fed info from a cities camera system she gets even harder to sneak up on.

[K. A. Pital]

I always found the film Kusanagi an important example of a free cyborg in fiction. As she starts working for Aramaki, she is in posession of her own body (at least, so I recall and that was also the case in the most recent TV/cinema incarnation, GITS ARISE). Being a free cyborg, she can blend with the crowd more easily, and she is not the property of a corporation either. RoboCop on the other hand is not, whatever you guys say, a free-willed cyborg. It is bound by OCP programming (cannot strike with other policemen, as an example). In the words of the franchise itself, do you really want to be beholden to a corporation?

And more importantly, Murphy is absolutely unfit for infiltration duties, while Kusanagi can pose as a human and easily infiltrate organizations. Her superior hacking skills are also very important in pursuing criminals with the use of the internet.

All in all, Kusanagi is a versatile asset while Robocop is fit for two roles only: street patrol unit and heavy-duty assault trooper. Blunt force is not what is needed to minimize casualties.

[Jub]

I can't recall the film that well, but I always thought that Kusanagi was in pretty big debt for her body and while technically free she pretty much had to work for the government to pay off her debt.

[K. A. Pital]

I think she was indebted as she had to serve in the military, but in section 9 or whatever she was free. Maybe that is only the way ARISE has it, I dunno. But even if she is beholden to the FSB, that is still way better than being beholden to a private company like OCP.

[Pelranius]

Robocop, mostly because he won't get pulled up into intra and interdepartmental politics, and the DC metro area probably has enough law enforcement for doing non-patrol and non-SWAT purposes.

[Simon_Jester]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Kusenagi spends most of her time fighting deranged robots and world takeover schemes and science-fictional cyberpunk stuff... whereas Murphy is, at least by the 'design,' of his cybernetics, intended to actually patrol the streets and directly fight low-level crime.

For this reason, I'm voting for Murphy. My county could use a guy like that.

I would much rather have Kusenagi, if only I lived in a society where I thought her specializations would be a particularly useful addition to my local police force.

[LadyTevar]

You do not have Special Forces do the job of a beat cop. Murphy wins

[FaxModem1]

If needed, AT weaponry is the first thing hardcore criminals get. I think that both cyborgs are far from being invulnerable. That memorable barrage in the original Robocop almost killed the character, IIRC. That aside, I would not trust a machine provided by an American corporation called "OmniCorp". The whole plot is focused on the Robocop going against OmniCorp programming and malevolent lits, but why would I want to take that risk... They seem to kill more innocent and caught-inbetween people in the films than Kusanagi's undercover operations.

Murphy has several disable options available, as shown in the television show, such as tazer projectiles, is regularly shown investigating cases and bringing in people for arrest. We're discussing whether or not we get the individual(and presumably their support facilities, as otherwise both of them will quickly become rather interesting hat racks due to lack of power and maintenance), not whether or not the town we live in gets OCP or Section 9 in their city.

[Zor]

Whichever you choose also comes with maintinece equipment is in place in your town for the benefit of cyborg law enforcement.

Zor