Blue Dog Squad
The Blue Dog Squad is the name of a "secret" team of corrupt police officers in Paragon City that use their authority to strong-arm citizens and businesses in Kings Row.
History
First Incarnation
Anti-Drug Origins
The original "Blue Dog Squad" was set up as an anti-drug task force in the 1980's to counter the scourge of the new super-drug Superadine. The team was given a "back door okay" by city, state, and federal authorities to use whatever means to break up drug dealers. They were allowed to violate due process and civil liberties if it meant getting dealers off the streets.
Their rapid success was both a blessing and a curse to them. They were able to rid the area of Superadine in a matter of months. Unfortunately it also meant that they would have to disband if that success was made public, since their "okay" to violate civil liberties was supposed to be for this one-time purpose.
So they did what any agency would do... they lied about their own success. They claimed that the "scourge" was never-ending, so their "special authority" needed to be never-ending as well.
In the fifteen-or-so years that followed, that "special authority" was used sporadically, often focusing on the worst of the worst. They were kept in check by the presence of the local superhero group known as The Regulators, which included Blue Steel, one of their own. Blue Steel would remind them that if they went too far, that he would personally shut them down.
After a while, the Blue Dogs stopped their abusive activities and nothing more was said about them.
Rikti War And Downfall
After the First Rikti Invasion of 2002, the city was in shambles. Order needed to be established, so newly-sworn Police Chief Conrad Bochco re-authorized the Blue Dogs to keep Kings Row in line. This was one of many "secret groups" that Bochco authorized, but this was the only one that already had a "back door okay", so it was the easiest to explain to the powers-that-be.
As before, the Blue Dogs kept order in the area, but this time around they also decided to not stop there. They began to demand "loyalty" from the local businesses through theft and "protection services". Those that refused were subject to "drug searches" and to check for "enemy combatants". They never operated in daylight, only at night, but they made it clear that when the sun came down, Kings Row "belonged" to them.
By 2007, though, the abuses and outright criminal activity by the Blue Dogs was so pervasive, it became noticed by City Hall, which sent their best specialist, Jimmy Hellfighter, to investigate it. At the same time, a new hero by the name of the Libertarian Avenger also was making a name for himself by targeting the Dogs. The two eventually crossed paths, and then they worked together on bringing a solid case against the Blue Dogs.
As a consequence, the Blue Dogs were forced to disband. Most of the officers involved were either criminally charged or else forced to retire, with the stain of their activities on their permanent records so they could never get a job in law enforcement again. Some, however, managed to slip away with the help of their "backers". Only one member of the squad, the "fixer" known as Lawdog, was able to keep his job, albeit demoted to officer and relocated continually to the most boring districts of the city.
Second Incarnation
The second incarnation of the Blue Dog Squad began quietly under the direction of Deputy Police Chief Thomas Wield not long after he assumed the position following the death of his predecessor.
Wield quietly brought back Cade Williams, one of the two leaders of the original incarnation, who had covertly changed his legal name to William McCade and was operating in New York City to rebuild his reputation as a "case-closer". McCade rebuilt the squad using officers that he knew would be willing to do anything they wanted with no questions asked and were not afraid to get a little "piece of the action" on the side.
It wasn't long before McCade's "hobby" began to get public scrutiny. Wield's "friends" in the Judicial Center would ensure McCade was never indicted, but he became too much of a burden when audio of the sexual harassment of Streetangel was made public. He was forced to retire, but was allowed to do so with full benefits.
In trying to silence Streetangel, Lawdog was captured by the Guardians of the Dawn and put in federal custody under FBSA authority. It was during this time that the Dogs employed a new tactic: using "Blue Dog" uniforms, complete with dog-like helmets and generic police identification. This allowed them to recruit gang members to wear the outfits, so, when captured, they could claim that the Blue Dogs were merely another street gang.
Their story is ongoing.
Known Members
- Deputy Chief Thomas Wield (actual leader)
- William McCade (Suspected leader)
Related Information
The "Blue Dog Squad" was first seen in "Guardians of the Dawn 2012 Special".
They became a recurring villain group in "Furia and the Guardians", and are the main focus of the "Task Force Twilight" limited series.
