SpecOps

SpecOps is a fictional overarching British governmental force in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series of novels. It was established in 1972 to handle policing duties "too unusual or too specialized" to be handled by the regular police. The force and divisions are similar in name (for example SO27) to the real world Specialist Operations of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Known SpecOps divisions

* SpecOps 1: The division that polices SpecOps itself.
* SpecOps 2: Thought Police.(This may be a joke)
* SpecOps 5: Search & Containment. SpecOps 5 is given a man to track until "found and contained" (a euphemism for killed), then is posted with another target. SpecOps 4 is "pretty much the same" but after a different target. SpecOps 5's assignments have included Acheron Hades and his sister Aornis.
* SpecOps 6: National Security, the department responsible for protecting the president and prime minister. It has also been responsible for protecting Mycroft Next.
* SpecOps 9: Antiterrorism.
* SpecOps 12: The ChronoGuard, or the Office for Special Temporal Stability. Responsible for policing the timestream, dealing with Anomalous Time Ripplation and repairing paradoxes and timephoons.
* SpecOps 13: Genetic detectives, responsible for the destruction of chimeras and the regulation of genetic engineered pets, including those formerly extinct. SpecOps 13 is also responsible for Neanderthal affairs.
* SpecOps 14: Tactical support, known for its sharpshooters and trigger-happiness.
* SpecOps 15: Drug Enforcement Agency.
* SpecOps 17: Suckers & Biters, the Vampire and Werewolf Disposal Operation. Despite a three-point confirmation procedure, every so often one of its operatives stakes a goth by mistake. SpecOps 17 also deals with Supremely Evil Beings, thousands of which are contained and placed in plain glass jars at the Loathsome Id Containment Facility; and ghosts, zombies, demons, and other supernatual beings.
* SpecOps 21: Transport Authority.
* SpecOps 22: English Aviation Authority.
* SpecOps 23: Food and Drugs administration.
* SpecOps 24: Art crime.
* SpecOps 25: Industrial Safeguards.
* SpecOps 26: Pasta Police.
* SpecOps 27: The Literary Detectives, the agency responsible for dealing with forged or stolen manuscripts and works of literature.
* SpecOps 28: Inland Revenue Services, including assessing income taxes.
* SpecOps 29: The Shakespeare division, granted its own wing of SpecOps rather than falling under the purview of SO-27.
* SpecOps 30: Neighbourly Disputes. ("Note: on Jasper Fforde's official [http://www.specops.org.uk/who.html SpecOps website] , SO-30 is given as the Public Services Enforcement Authority.")
* SpecOps 31: Good Taste Re-education Authority. In First Among Sequels it is the Cheese Enforcement Agency.
* SpecOps 32: Horticultural Enforcement Agency.
* SpecOps 33: Entertaiments Facilitation Department.
* SpecOps 34: GlobalWebPolice.

Known SpecOps Operatives

pecOps 1

* Colonel Flanker

pecOps 3

* Wednesday Next

pecOps 5

* Fillip Tamworth
* Filbert Snood
* Agent Buckett
* Thursday Next
* Agents Kannon and Phodder, Agents Dedmen and Walken, and Agents Slaughter and Lamb.

pecOps 9

* Agent Buckett

pecOps 12

* Lavoisier
* Colonel Next
* Friday Next
* Filbert Snood
* Captain Marat
* Colonel Rutter

pecOps 13

* Mr. Stiggins (Neanderthal, head of department)

pecOps 17

* Spike Stoker

pecOps 27

* Thursday Next
* Bowden Cable
* Victor Analogy

pecOps 28

* Agent Lamb

References

* "The Eyre Affair", by Jasper Fforde
* "Lost in a Good Book", by Jasper Fforde
* "Something Rotten", by Jasper Fforde
* [http://www.specops.org.uk/who.html Jasper Fforde's official SpecOps website at Thursdaynext.com]