Law Enforcement: Work Area

[sweetpinkpixie]

WORK AREA

This highly secure and meticulously organised space is dedicated to the effective administration and enforcement of magical laws. To gain entry, employees are confronted by an imposing concrete wall, its surfaces stark and unadorned, creating an atmosphere of both austerity and authority. The only feature marring the wall's grey façade is a sleek, enchanted magical identification system, embedded flush against the concrete. This system scans one's wand, ensuring that only authorized personnel gain access to the work areas beyond.

Once permitted beyond the wall, employees enter a vast open-plan area punctuated by groups of cubicles. The cubicles are constructed from dark, matte metal, their angular forms reflecting the minimalist and brutalist design ethos. The area is divided into distinct sections, each tailored to support the unique functions and responsibilities of the various divisions within the department. Enchanted lighting adjusts automatically to maintain optimal working conditions, and the environment is equipped with magical enhancements to support productivity, security, and effective law enforcement.

The work area is divided into several distinct sections, each dedicated to the specific divisions of the department:

WORK AREA, NORTH SIDE

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Magical Evidence & Retrieval Team
This division is dedicated to the collection and analysis of magical evidence. The walls of these cubicles display reference guides on evidence-handling procedures and magical forensic techniques. Desks are equipped with evidence files, analysis reports, and magical retrieval equipment. Specialised magical analysis tools, evidence cataloging systems, and secure storage for sensitive materials can be located in the Magical Forensics Lab and Evidence and Pensieve Rooms.

Improper Use of Magic Office
This section is focused on investigating and managing cases of unauthorized magical activity. The walls of these cubicles are adorned with charts and posters detailing the latest magical laws and case studies. Desks are equipped with enchanted record-keeping devices, magical communication tools, and case files related to incidents of magic misuse.

Wizengamont Adminsitration Services & British Office of Wizarding law
This section handles administrative duties for the Wizengamot and oversees legal matters for the British wizarding community. The walls of these cubicles are decorated with procedural guides, case law summaries, and court case schedules. Desks are equipped with enchanted legal reference materials, communication devices for liaising with legal professionals, and case files.

WORK AREA, SOUTH SIDE

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Magical Law Enforcement Patrol
Employees in this area oversee the enforcement of magical laws and regulations. The walls of these cubicles are decorated with maps of patrol zones, updated incident reports, and strategic guidelines for various law enforcement scenarios. Desks feature communication devices for coordinating with field agents, magical surveillance tools for monitoring ongoing operations, and files containing patrol schedules and enforcement protocols.

Auror Headquarters
The Auror Headquarters is the command center for elite law enforcement officers tasked with handling high-profile and dangerous magical cases. The walls of these cubicles are lined with maps, case dockets, and strategic plans for ongoing investigations. Desks are equipped with advanced magical artefacts for surveillance and communication, as well as personal case files and investigative resources.

Ministry Security
This division manages the overall security of the Ministry. The walls of these cubicles feature security schematics, monitoring system displays, and emergency response protocols. Desks are equipped with magical security tools, communication devices for coordinating with security personnel, and logs of Ministry-related incidents.

[Holmesian Feline]

Extra coverage in the Atrium…check.

Simon knew it was likely to bottleneck an already chaotic day of new and returning ministry workers, but it had to be done. It had been a case that held priority on his divisions open cases, the rest on his mental list as he slipped back into Level Two having already stopped to drop his belongings into his office even earlier today. Another was making another sweep of Level One when he got the chance to check out another issue. Once his son had gotten in and there was less risk of it seeming like he was checking in on Noah and his new job instead of handling a potential security issue of course. Otherwise somehow Angelina would find out (especially if Charles saw him) and he would never hear the end of the teasing.

Proud papa…yes. Protective…yes. But not stifling of his eldest. It had been one thing he had had to seriously promise when the younger Bennett had started working at the Ministry a few years back. For now he had decided to see if anyone else had come in, especially new hires to the department. Aka those who might be ready to cause drama in the often drama-filled department.

[Zoe]

Faustus emerged from his office with the slow, precise movements of a man who measured each step with purpose. A memo still clutched in his hand, his sharp blue eyes swept over the busy office space. Bits of conversations rose and fell like waves, but Faustus' mind was elsewhere—on the breach during the previous week's Wizengamot hearing, and the implications that a Polyjuiced intruder had not only accessed restricted proceedings, but left behind little more than suspicion and a lingering trail of unease.

Spotting Simon up ahead, Faustus strode toward him. "Ahh, Bennett. Just the man I was looking for," he addressed smoothly, voice carrying just enough weight. "Any word from your division on the uninvited guest at last Thursday's hearing? Details have been... fragmented. I assume by now you've made progress." His tone was clipped, not impatient, but certainly not indulgent. He waited, chin lifted, expression unreadable save for a faint twitch at his jaw that betrayed the tension beneath.

He had been in enough courtrooms to know that such incidents rarely ended with a single disguised figure. No, it was never just one. Behind every mask was a network, a purpose, an agenda clawing away under the surface. And Faustus, who had clawed his way through more than most to sit in his commissioner's chair, would see it unmasked in full. "If your team needs more jurisdictional clearance..." he mused, voice low.

[Holmesian Feline]

Ahh, Bennett. Just the man I was looking for…

Simon had been around long enough to know those words could have many outcomes. However, in this case, the security head was pretty certain the reason he was being looked for and it wasn’t positive. The breach of security had been the man’s latest bane and like most of the serious security issues, he took it personally. Especially when it reminded him of another failure in his younger days…one that had been his boggart for many years. His team had gone through the courtroom and surrounding areas like a fine-toothed magical comb and while there was progress like the commissioner had surmised, it wasn’t much.

“My apologies for the fragments,” he remarked with a slight nod of his head of acknowledgment as he turned himself and his full attention to the other man. Sure, he had kept Paton in the loop, but Simon had been tightly lipped otherwise. Level 10 might not be as secure as 9 or 1 with its visitors and non-ministry presences, both criminal and not, but with its involvement there was part of him that leaned towards the possibility of someone inside Law Enforcement being somehow involved. Not that he thought the possibilities included Faustus in any way, having worked with him long enough.

“There are threads being pulled but many have come up dead or circumstantial. “ Though the mention of jurisdiction help got his attention no matter how low the other man's voice was. “That might offer some assistance yes,” Simon remarked quietly, unable to deny. Some of the avenues were outside his and his team’s usual purview and he’d rather not have to buck the likes of occasional aurors and hit wizards that deemed security beneath them.

[Zoe]

Faustus gave a faint, humourless smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, as Simon spoke. His gaze momentarily shifted to the work area beyond, as though trying to bore through concrete walls and polished floors.

"No apology necessary, Bennett. You're doing your job," he said at last, the words clipped and formal, implying genuine respect for the man before him. Others in Simon's division, however... the Commissioner had his doubts. "What matters is how we bind these fragments into something whole."

A measured step forward was made, closing the space between them by a fraction. "A Polyjuiced intruder slipping into a Wizengamot hearing though—that kind of infiltration is orchestrated. It requires knowledge, coordination, and, most damning of all, access. Someone," his tone hardened as his eyes narrowed slightly, "either gave it or failed to be vigilant enough to notice the signs and stop it. I trust you're accounting for both possibilities."

He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "Conveniently for you," he stated as he held out the memo, revealing that he had been three steps ahead already, "I've just gotten provisional clearance for your division to operate under. Shouldn't be any issues besides having to endure the occasional tantrum from those who believe their egos outweigh protocol." He didn't smirk, but the implication lingered like a shadow. Names didn't need to be named; they knew who was bound to express disapproval.

[Holmesian Feline]

No apology might have been necessary, but that was just the security head’s style. One didn’t work as he did both interdepartmental and interministerial without taking the precautions to not risk ruffling feathers he didn’t have to. It made his job easier in the long run so the effort was worth it. As Faustus took his movements, however, the focus was on his schooled features not reacting as everything that had already occurred to him was repeated. Something that would have raised the hackles of his younger self, hating when it seemed like someone doubted he knew his job.

He didn’t respond right away, couldn’t as the other man moved on. Oh looky…a man after his own heart giving him one less thing to wait on in his investigation. If only that boded well for the rest of the continuing investigation. As for the aforementioned egos he bit back a snort. “It would almost feel abnormal without that,” he remarked simply as he accepted the paperwork with a slight nod. It vanishing smoothly into the interior of his robes. He’d been dealing with those egos since he first counted himself in their number. A reason at times that Simon reasoned he hadn’t fully belonged.

“All prospects have been accounted…even with my own.” He might normally trust his own division more fully, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think himself infallible in his judgement. And given that one of Securities responsibilities being the background checks of all ministry hires mixed with the length of Simon’s years at his job meant very few hadn’t at least been overseen by him during his tenure his judgement could be accused by those less supportive. It made an internal betrayal all the more annoying to him.