Republic City Police

"URN"

- Police! Freeze where you are!

The Metalbending Police Force is the elite law enforcement team of Republic City, formerly led by Toph Beifong's daughter, Chief Lin Beifong, who was succeeded by Chief Saikhan. By using metalbending to manipulate the metal cables within the cylindrical spool devices on their backs, the officers are able to restrain criminals and navigate the city quickly and efficiently. Along with this equipment, they are also known to carry truncheons and riot shields. The Metalbending Police Force monitors events in the city through the use of several airships, and this mobility allows them to easily apprehend felons and deploy forces for pursuit.

History
The Metalbending Police Force was formed at some point after the Hundred Year War by Toph Beifong, who subsequently led the organization for a number of years. They aided in the arrest of the notorious bloodbending crime boss, Yakone, and several officers, including Toph, also provided security during his trial. However, like all others present at the trial, these metalbending officers were bloodbent into submission by Yakone, allowing him to escape.



The force was quick to respond to an incident involving Avatar Korra upon her arrival in Republic City. Several officers arrived at the scene after the Avatar's brief but destructive fight with three members of the Triple Threat Triad who had been terrorizing a phonograph shop owner. After the short scuffle, the police rounded up the defeated triad members, but also attempted to arrest Korra for property damage as a result of the fight. Korra attempted to flee upon Naga, but was eventually captured with assistance from an overhead airship and brought to their headquarters for questioning courtesy of Lin Beifong.

During the Pro-bending Championship Tournament, the police force provided extra security by supplying police airships, police boats, and officers to guard the vicinity around the arena after the Equalists threatened to attack the building. However, the metalbenders within the premises were quickly incapacitated by Equalists hidden within the audience, all of whom were wielding electrified gloves. Sometime during the incursion, all police boats and airships surrounding the arena were also destroyed.



After the attack on the Pro-bending Arena, Tarrlok arranged a press conference and called for new leadership of the police force after Chief Lin Beifong's failure to prevent the destruction of the arena. Meanwhile, the Metalbending Police Force launched an in-depth investigation into who manufactured the Equalists' high-tech weapons by questioning witnesses to procure information. They then investigated the Cabbage Corp factory, finding enough incriminating evidence to arrest Lau Gan-Lan‎‎, the head of the corporation. After Avatar Korra told Chief Beifong about a possible connection between Hiroshi Sato and the Equalists, the Metalbending Police Force, together with Tenzin and Korra, searched for incriminating evidence in all of Future Industries' warehouses, but were unsuccessful.

However, after receiving an anonymous tip, the police force invaded the Sato estate in search of a secret factory beneath the grounds of the estate. Metalbending officers accompanied Lin Beifong and the rest of the search party, but were ambushed by Equalist mecha tanks and were soon overpowered. While part of the group was able to escape via airship, several metalbending officers were captured and taken to Amon. However, after the escape, Lin Beifong stated her resolve to resign as chief and retrieve her men without the restraints of the law.



Following Chief Beifong's resignation, Saikhan was inducted as Chief of Police, and agreed to lend any of the police force's available resources to Tarrlok and his task force. As a result, the Councilman's influence in the police force increased greatly. Many metalbending officers were summoned to quell a supposed Equalist rally in the Dragon Flats borough. At the scene, officers arrested Mako, Bolin, and Asami as well as the non-bender crowds in the borough at Tarrlok's command, because they were disobeying the recently enacted non-bender curfew law. After the incident, Tenzin and Korra arrived at the police headquarters, demanding that Chief Saikhan release Korra's friends and the non-benders that had been arrested. The Chief advised them to speak with Tarrlok about the matter.

Chief Saikhan was ordered by Tarrlok to deploy the entire police force to find Avatar, after she was supposedly kidnapped by Amon. However, this was simply a ploy to keep them busy while Tarrlok disposed of the Avatar.



While searching for the Avatar in a tunnel network running throughout Republic City, Lin Beifong, Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, and Asami came across an Equalist prison, and upon using seismic sense, Lin discovered that the captured metalbender officers were being held inside. She discovered her officers incarcerated in a cell and she used her metalbending to enter the prison cell. Upon entering, Lin asked her officers if Amon had removed their bending already, to which an officer nodded. Lin, the rescued officers, Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, and Asami, then escaped the Equalist facility via a hijacked Equalist tram cart.

During the Equalists' Battle for Republic City, numerous metalbending officers, as well as non-bending telephone operators, were knocked out when Amon's forces siphoned knockout gas into the police headquarters. Later, as Councilman Tenzin safely led a group of officers and telephone operators outside, several officers, including Chief Saikhan, were captured by Equalist mecha tanks equipped with large magnets.

Several officers were later seen on Air Temple Island having their bending removed by Amon, alongside several sentries from the Order of the White Lotus.

Uniform


The Metalbending Police Force operates primarily through the use of specialized metalbending. Their uniform consists mainly of segmented metal armor, which offers protection against chi blocking. Cylindrical spools are attached to the back of each officer, with metallic cables extending through the arm; the compacted metal wires can be lengthened or retracted through metalbending. Metalbending police officers are adept at manipulating these metal wires, often bending them with enough force to cling to solid earth or to wrap around a person. This is their primary use of law enforcement, developed by Chief Lin Beifong herself. These cables are the officers' weapon of choice, but they also carry additional equipment such as truncheons and riot shields.

For regular metalbending officers, the majority of the uniform is a light gray color, with the hat being a slightly darker shade of gray. The foot piece part of the armor is made up of retractable metal plates, and allows the officers to expose their feet to the ground when necessary. Due to the fact that the armor is made out of metal, the uniform can be put on very quickly by the officers by utilizing their metalbending skills. For the chief of police the uniform is almost the same, except the metal is a slightly darker grey shade, and it has gold rims separating each piece of the armor.

Methods, equipment, and abilities


In addition to manipulating wires attached to the spools on their backs, metalbending police officers make use of metal wires dispersed throughout Republic City. Officers can maneuver through streets by attaching a wire from their spools to a stationary wire, propelling through the city in a similar fashion to vine swinging. In addition, officers can attach wires to mobile objects, such as Satomobiles, while on top of a stationary wire, using the moving unit to "surf" through the city. Saikhan demonstrated this ability while in pursuit of Avatar Korra. Lin Beifong displayed the capability of extending retractable metal blades from the sleeves of her armor.

The police force operates efficiently and attempt to produce minimal damage to the city. They are deployed in small groups by patrol airships that constantly circle the capital's boundaries. A siren indicates the arrival of police units, and officers arrive soon after to immobilize criminals through use of metal wires. Apprehended criminals are then taken back to the police headquarters.



The members of the police force utilize police scanners to communicate with one another while patrolling Republic City, as well as loud alarms and megaphones. All information by operating police officers, airships and ferries is collected and evaluated by operators within the communications room of the police headquarters. In times of emergency, this room acts as the command center for the chief and the whole police force, given its role as the junction for all police communication.

Non-bending officers use batons to defend themselves or arrest criminals.

Vehicles

 * Airships - Manufactured by Future Industries, airships are used for monitoring the streets of Republic City, as large sections of the city are visible from the air.
 * Boats - The police force employs boats when the situation calls for watching or approaching a location via water.
 * Cars - Also developed by Future Industries, the police car is similar to a Satomobile, but equipped with sirens, police radios, as well as a caged back for transporting criminals.
 * Trucks - The heavy duty police trucks are reinforced with armor to be dispensed into any high threat scenario to ensure the safety of police officers. They are also equipped with a metal plow to move objects out of the way.

Headquarters


The Metalbending Police Force brings back apprehended criminals to their headquarters, located deep within Republic City. Their base of operations is a monumental building, the grandeur of which is represented by the numerous entrances and windows adorning the exterior. A metal statue of Toph can be seen on a pinnacle near the building's center.

Notable members

 * Chief Toph Beifong (deceased)
 * Chief Lin Beifong (formerly)
 * Chief Saikhan
 * Officer Song
 * Metalbender officer

Known arrests

 * Yakone (later escaped; deceased)
 * Triple Threat Triad members
 * Two Toed Ping
 * Unnamed waterbender
 * Unnamed earthbender
 * Korra (charges dropped and released by Tenzin)
 * Equalists
 * Lau Gan-Lan
 * Asami Sato (escaped)
 * Mako (escaped)
 * Bolin (escaped)
 * Non-benders of the Dragon Flats borough
 * Hiroshi Sato

Trivia

 * Creators and executive producers Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have said that the Metalbending Police Force was partially inspired by the Dai Li.
 * Their uniform bears striking similarities in appearance to traditional samurai armor.
 * The conservative and deliberate method of operation that the Metalbending Police Force employs bears similarities to the Dai Li, the secret police of Ba Sing Se. One major difference between the groups, however, is that the Metalbending Police Force ultimately has to answer to the state-ruling United Republic Council, while the Dai Li's top operatives, such as Long Feng, were essentially free to organize policy as they wished.
 * In a flashback, Toph, as well as two others, were shown wearing complete metalbender police uniforms. This means that the Metalbending Police Force has been up and running for a number of years.
 * The Metalbending Police Force's method of traversing quickly around using extendable metal wires are like those of Spiderman's.
 * In an interview, Sifu Kisu explained that the fighting style of the Metalbending Police is based on the Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis Style, with modern military techniques also thrown in. He has jokingly called this "ambigu-bending" because of its lack of definition as compared to the more ordinary form of earthbending and the unique style which Toph herself performed.
 * The old model of the uniforms worn by metalbending officers consisted of less metal plating, and did not have wire spools on the back of the uniform. Instead, the metal cables were stored in circular canisters just above the officer's hip.