Set in the year 2113, Psycho Pass tells the story of a fictitious society where a person is judged not by their actions, but by their capacity to act violently. We're introduced to Inspector Akane Tsunemori, a rookie straight out of the Academy who, despite being at the top of her class, quickly discovers that theory and practice are entirely different worlds.In "Crime Coefficient," she is tasked with leading a team of ex-criminals in a search and capture operation against a middle aged male target. This target, upon being labelled as a prospective criminal, rebounded aggressively, abducting and eventually committing sexual assault against his hostage. His propensity to commit crime (known as his Crime Coefficient) is tracked by the task force in real time, as the weapons they fire are tired to the target's Psycho Pass.
The weapon, referred to as a "Dominator," is a form of handgun linked to its wielder by neural interface. If the weapon is held by someone not authorized to use it, it will not fire. If the weapon is pointed at a target whose Crime Coefficient is normal (under 100), it will not fire. If the weapon is pointed at a target whose Crime Coefficient is elevated (100-300), it will fire a paralysis-inducing shot. If the weapon is pointed at a target whose Crime Coefficient hits extremely dangerous levels (over 300), it will fire a lethal shot.
Needless to say, there are some definite advantages to this system. In a system where firearms are heavily regulated, this ensures that even if firearms were to fall into the wrong hands (such as being stolen), the guns would not be able to be used by a criminal party. Furthermore, it ensures that law-abiding citizens are in the right frame of mind when they have one of these in their hands.
The third, and perhaps most important advantage, is that it would provide a check on law enforcement itself. Some of you might recall the infamous "Pepper Spray Incident" at UC Davis back in 2011. The events have been labelled excessive force and a serious misuse of police power, one of many such events which occur in law enforcement despite many attempts to maintain civility in the profession.
If this is the only weapon made available to the police, then the police would not be able to attack anyone whose Crime Coefficient was below 100. If the protest was indeed a peaceful one, then the coefficients of the protesters would be hovering near the upper limit, but it would not be enough for the police to be allowed to take action. Their weapons simply would not work, and there would be no way to institute an override. The events at UC Davis would have never happened.
Remember, it is not guns which kill people, but the people who fire them in an irresponsible manner. That goes for both good and evil.
