There's a crime problem in DE, and its not that there's too much crime. It's the lack of discretion and consequence. It has negative effects on the RP on many levels, from the fact that it strains credibility to the breaking point to the deleterious effect it has on the PD players morale and perception of the PD in the community.

When a crime is committed in a public fashion, with the perpetrator's identity fully known and that perpetrator is not punished at all, it breaks any semblance of realism. This isn't thunderdome. two men cant duel in the street without repercussion. When they aren't arrested and they don't do any jail time Dead end starts to feel less and less credible.

I'm not saying that all crimes should be punished, or that johnny law always getting his man is good for rp. Obviously if we want to have criminals we cant have them arrested over every little thing. What i am saying is when there's no discretion, when unmasked people murder people on the street in front of cops and walk around free or on probation, it destroys the verisimilitude of the sim.

Some people might say "this doesn't really affect anyone but the perp and the victim" but that's not true at all. it forces us all to make rp choices that have bad consequences. If Bubba the Blade can murder people in the square and not be arrested, or is arrested and given probation, there is no reason any of us would have any attitude towards the DEPD other than "jesus christ you people couldn't find your ass with both hands" To expect people to react in any other fashion is to expect people to have completely unnatural reactions.

Right now, that is most of our reaction to the DEPD. The problem is that's not really through any fault of the DEPD players. It's super frustrating to take on that role, be confronted with nothing but contempt from the ordinary citizens who can open the paper and see pictures of Bubba the Blade murdering someone, and read his letter to the editor that says "hi i murdered someone and here's my address by the way." when you don't have any actual ability to change the fact that Bubba's a free man.

This leads to cop burnout, which leads to a shortage of cops. This is a problem if we genuinely want to have robust crime rp in dead end. Instead of having a brutal LAPD style police force that has the respect and fear of the community, we have depressed players essentially forced into the role of keystone cops, since nobody ever suffers any consequence for their crimes other than a three day stay in the city jail.

The time has come to treat people that flagrantly and publicly violate the law, and who dont send their characters off to jail for a long period of time no differently than we treat the ninjas who dodge every hit in a fight. There's not really any difference.

Some might say "but without killing and raping and beating up my ho, DE wont be any fun" well... sure. accurate. I'm not saying that stuff shouldnt be a big part of the rp. Im saying you shouldnt be able to do it on the tables outside of lulus in front of 10 people with iphones that upload the video and not go to prison and make a new character.

Wanna kill someone? drag them off to some secluded spot and kill them and dispose of the body....

wanna rape someone? do the same and put the fear of god in them if they report you. Don't do it on the floor of lulus during happy hour.

If you have to do something publicly? wear a disguise AND DONT KEEP WEARING THE SAME DISGUISE. if snake eyes from GI Joe rapes 4 girls in front of people, the next time a guy is out in a snakeyes costume he would be arrested.

Have some discretion, and if you fuck up and do something super publicly... consider making a new character. Let bubba the blade ride off to the state penitentiary. He's a legend. he was a brutal guy that killed a bunch of folks. let his story be over and be sammy the snake or whatever.

Do let the DEPD be seen as a competent if understaffed and overworked department. Don't be the guy that doesnt suffer any legit consequences of his rp.