History

According to the Resident Evil 2 Remake events, the RPD was founded in 1969, a year after the founding of the Umbrella Corporation.  The fact the timing of these two events being so closely apart indicated that Umbrella investments into Raccoon City investment into the police department establishment to address the city's rapid growth and the need for more law enforcement.

The site chosen for the headquarters for the police department had once been an art museum as evidenced in Resident Evil Outbreak File #2.  

Expansion

During the economic recession in the early 1990s, Mayor Michael Warren launched his project known as Bright Raccoon 21.  As part of his initiative, the RPD received special funding from local businesses one of which is the Umbrella Pharmaceuticals.  These contributions were made in exchange for assurances that the department could address rising crime rates and domestic security concerns. As a result of this funding, the S.T.A.R.S. paramilitary teams were established.

Corruption

Starting back in 1993, Police Chief Brian Irons kept accepting bribes from Umbrella to hide illegal activities they were doing.  Around the time of the Mansion Incident outside the city, Chief Irons was requested by Umbrella's Dr. William Birkin to bar any investigations into the company with any suspicions. The survivors of S.T.A.R.S. from the Mansion Incident, conducted their own investigations into Umbrella and Chief Irons himself.

Raccoon City Incident

On September 23, 1998, a strain of T-Virus contaminated the drinking water from Victory Lake spread by rats and cockroaches.  The next day, thousands of innocent civilians had turned into cannibal zombies due to infection.  The RPD was deployed to handle the civil unrest and rioting across the city, starting with Warren Stadium were the football team The Raccoon Sharks were playing a game.  Raymond Douglas, Deputy Chief, led a group operation to evacuate the citizens from the hot zones within the city, which wasn't easy since there were barriers around the city.  Posters of him and his name were put up at the Raccoon City Zoo detailing the Army Chinooks to pick up any living refugees.  Douglas was killed outside the Apple Inn by an exploding tanker truck and he burned to death.  Team member of the RPD detonated explosives in areas highly crowded by zombies.  This task was a success when a few survivors at Jack's Bar after two of those police team members were killed.  During the outbreak, the RPD opened its doors to anyone seeking food and protections.  Unfortunately Police Chief Irons sabotaged the efforts selfishly stating that if he died, that the rest of the population should die with him.

The evening of September 26, the RPD force consisting of the Raccoon S.W.A.T. (the replacement group of S.T.A.R.S.) drove out to choke points near the station, such as Johnson National Bank and the tram station in an effort to take on the zombies dead on.  Despite a counterattack from the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service, trained in anti B.O.W. warfare, the population of zombies was highly overwhelming for them and the RPD to handle.  They were completely wiped out.

Back at the RPD station, the number of survivors started to dwindle as the hoards of zombies took over that station along with a new kind of monster that Umbrella and the locals deemed the Licker after witnesses saw attacks on police personnel.  Early in the morning of September 28, the RPD survivors under the lead of Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, considered abandoning the station completely.  Later that night, Jill Valentine (ex-S.T.A.R.S.) arrived at the station, finding Marvin wounded by a zombie bite, but no signs of anyone else alive.  Because Nemesis T-Type had just revealed itself and is chasing down Jill through the station, she had no other choice but to leave him behind and run.

By October 1st, most of the officers at the station had been killed or evacuated.  At daybreak the same day, Raccoon City was completely annihilated, including the RPD by a missile by the US Air Force in an effort to prevent the virus outbreak from expanding beyond the city.

Uniforms

The standard uniform for patrol officers consisted of a light blue two toned collared shirt with the R.P.D. logo on both sleeves and dark grey cargo pants with side pockets. Additionally, a black outer carrier for their bullet resistant vests were also issued for personnel with the R.P.D. abbreviation on both front and back. Officers wore nylon duty belts to carry their service firearms and other lethal and non lethal weaponry. This was accompanied by black patrol boots. Caps and black ties were also apart of the uniform, but it is hard to tell if these were optional or merely neglected due to the outbreak.

Structure Divisions

The Raccoon City Police department consisted of multiple divisions including S.T.A.R.S., Criminal Investigations, Operations Division, and a K-9 unit.  The following information is about the different divisions of the RPD.

Operations Bureau:

This is the biggest part of the RPD.  They provide 24/7 surveillance to the residents of Raccoon City. At the time of the citywide incident, the unit was pushed past their limits as the city was infested with a large population of undead zombies and other monstruous creatures, while conducting evacuations and civilians trying to escape the city.  Their training had gone obsolete dealing with the zombies and rioters.  The team nearly was annihilated in the outbreak, with a few surviving.

Criminal Investigation Division:

This branch of the RPD consisted of detectives who investigated all crimes big and small, violent or non-violent including homicides, narcotics, sexual assault, robbery, fraud, domestic violence, auto theft, organized crime and even as high as terrorism.  Seen on a bulletin boards on the first floor of the RPD, stating that violent crimes including rape, assault, and murder were showcased.  The detectives were the ones who primarily investigate the cannable cases that started showing up in the area in May 1998, who after extensive research couldn't find any suspects or any motives, leaving the department unsure.  Alongside negative results from the FBI's VICAP, and local panics and media scrutiny lead the S.T.A.R.S. to investigate the matter. 

S.T.A.R.S.:

Special Tactics and Rescue Service, (S.T.A.R.S.) was the RPD's first elite unit.  They were assigned to handle cases that were too much for the common police force to handle due to lack of training.  They were also assigned to handle rescue cases in the Arklay Mountain regions.  The unit was divided into two major teams: The Alpha Team, and The Bravo Team.  Unlike most of the RPD's divisions, the S.T.A.R.S. was allowed the freedom to customize their uniforms and equipment.  A lot of the members of S.T.A.R.S. were training in military, including Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine.

Unknown to most of its members, the S.T.A.R.S., were used as pawns into fighting the B.O.W. created by Umbrella as test subjects.  During an investigation in the outskirts of Raccoon City in the Arklay Mountains some of the team members faced mass causalities by zombies and other mutant monsters. Also unknown to the members, Alpha Team's captain Albert Wesker knew the nature of the mission and how dangerous it was.  Some of S.T.A.R.S. returned to the RPD after surviving the Mansion Incident from Raccoon Forest.  One officer was later killed during the Raccoon City viral outbreak by Umbrella Europe-created Nemesis T-Type that was stalking the survivors of S.T.A.R.S. After the Mansion Incident case, Chief Irons disbanded the unit with the efforts to stop them from doing research on Umbrella and Irons himself.

S.W.A.T.:

This division known as the Special Weapons and Tactics was created to replace S.T.A.R.S. shortly after the incident at the mansion in the Arklay Mountains.  Just like their predecessors, they were specially trained into handle high-risk cases including violent crimes.  They serve as the RPD primary tactical response team.  They also provide direct support to other officers capacity in situations.  Its personnel being skilled in the use of many weapons, urban combat, and were all in top physical and mental conditions. All S.W.A.T. unit officers were completely wiped out during the Raccoon City outbreak.

K-9 Division:

The K-9 unit consisted of specially trained officers and their police dogs.  All police dogs were the Doberman pinchers species by the requirements of Chief Irons.  They would of been a valuable asset to assist the officers during the Raccoon City viral outbreak, but were infected by the T-Virus, roaming around the police station basement.  Some of those Dobermans became zombified and turned on their police masters, killing or infecting them also.

Youth Services Division:

This department of the RPD, handled juvenile offenses by teenagers, such graffiti and other various criminal offenses with under age offenders.

Crime Scene Unit:

The crime scene division was responsible to securing crime scenes and gathering up evidence.  This unit was forefront during the viral outbreak of the city.

Aviation Division:

Raccoon Police were in possession at the time of the outbreak in possession of a fleet of helicopters used for aerial patrol and to provide assistance to ground units when requested. Due to the perilous reputation of the Arklay mountains of hikers becoming missing or stranded it is highly likely this unit was used in search and rescue capabilities before and after STARS division was created. During the outbreak its known that at least one unit attempted rescue at R.P.D. HQ but due to unknown circumstances crashed into the building resulting in a total loss of life. Its unknown if any division members manage to escape the city before its bombardment.

Vehicles

The RPD consisted of 1979-1994 Chevy Caprices, as standard police vehicles.  Toward the last few year of operation, they used newer 1994-1997 Ford Crown Victoria Interceptors.  They had limited amount of 1998 Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor.  The S.W.A.T. division was provided with GMC SWAT step vans and at least one Cadillac Gage Commando V-100 APC adapted for police use.

The R.P.D. used an Aérospatiale Eurocopter AS350B police helicopter for air patrol and provided a further two Bell UH-1 helicopters for S.T.A.R.S. operations; one of which was destroyed during the Arklay Mansion Incident.

Firearms

The RPD consists of many types of firearms for its officers.

The standard weapon used by the RPD is the Beretta 92FS, used by many officers, but the S.T.A.R.S. standard weapon is the Samurai Edge version.  Barry Burton from the STARS Alpha Team received a version of the Samurai Edge 96FS chambered for larger .40S&W ammo.  The Browning Hi-Power was the second most commonly used sidearm used by Lieutenant Marvin Branagh and some officers like Kevin Ryman who carried a more powerful version M1911A1s in .45 ACP rounds.  When Leon S. Kennedy arrived for his first and only day on the job just in time for the virus outbreak, he carried his personal Heckler And Koch VP70M which wasn't standard issued.  However, the department had parts to upgrade it.  One dead officer had a Glock 19 with him.

The S.T.A.R.S. unit also was provided with powerful magnum known as the Desert Eagle and the S&W Model 629, and Barry Burton armed with the Colt Python.  Chief Irons carried a Smith And Wesson as his personal weapon.

Officers licensed for shotguns were provided with Remington 870s. The Franchi SPAS-12 was also in service with the R.P.D., being issued to some officers, including Acting Chief Raymond Douglas. In the S.T.A.R.S. unit, Officer Joseph Frost carried a Mossberg 590, while Officer Richard Aiken was issued a Benelli M3 Super 90.

S.W.A.T. personnel were provided with MP5 submachine guns, |M4 carbines, and Remington 870 shotguns with Sure Fire 618 weapon lights. Another submachine gun used by the R.P.D. was the Ingram M-11.

The heaviest weapons used by the R.P.D. were the M79 grenade launcher, H&K Penn Arms L1 grenade launcher, and Arwen 37 grenade launcher, used for riot control. S.T.A.R.S. also had access to a M202 Flash rocket launcher.

Other Equipment:

Beside firearms the RPD used such weapons as M84 stun grenades, M26 fragmentation grenades, stun guns, and M9 bayonets.  The S.T.A.R.S. unit used survival knives.

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