In Commonwealth City, vigilantism is not illegal.
It is regulated.
The City recognizes that not all harm can be addressed quickly—or at all—by centralized institutions. Rather than criminalizing private action, Commonwealth City chose to formalize it, creating a legal framework for individuals who act to protect others outside standard enforcement structures.
Private enforcement is permitted so long as it is accountable, proportional, and documented.
The City does not object to who stops harm.
It objects to uncontrolled escalation.
Individuals engaging in regular enforcement activity must meet minimum requirements:
Registration with Commonwealth City Peacekeepers Department (CCPD)
Completion of a Peacekeepers Academy training course
Issuance of a Vigilant Action License
Agreement to oversight, review, and recall
These individuals are often referred to informally as:
Licensed Enforcers
Registered Responders
Street Peacekeepers
They are not CCPD officers, but operate under defined legal authority.
Private investigation is fully legal and socially accepted.
Licensed investigators may:
Conduct surveillance within legal limits
Gather evidence
Interview witnesses
Coordinate with CCPD or CORE Systems
Act in defense of self or others when harm is imminent
Investigators are expected to escalate, not replace, official response when possible.
Unaffiliated individuals may act to prevent immediate harm without a license, under strict conditions:
Action must be defensive or preventative
Force must be proportional
No pursuit beyond immediate threat
Incident must be reported afterward
Repeated action without registration draws scrutiny—not punishment at first, but attention.
The City tolerates spontaneity.
It distrusts patterns.
Regardless of license or intent, the following are illegal:
Lethal force except as last resort
Extrajudicial punishment
Detention beyond immediate safety needs
Acting under false authority
Creating fear or public panic
Interfering with active CCPD operations
Vigilantism is not a substitute for justice.
All licensed vigilante activity is:
Logged
Reviewable
Subject to audit
Consequences for misuse include:
License suspension or revocation
Restrictions on activity
Mandatory retraining
Legal liability for harm caused
The City does not criminalize mistakes lightly.
It does criminalize refusal to be accountable.
Licensed vigilantes are viewed as:
Necessary in underserved areas
Useful in low-level crime
Dangerous if unchecked
Unlicensed actors are tolerated briefly, then questioned.
People appreciate help.
They distrust anyone who wants to play hero.
Vigilantism is viable and supported
Paperwork matters
Escalation brings oversight
Acting quietly is safer than acting loudly
Repeated success draws attention—from allies and auditors alike
Being effective is allowed.
Being unanswerable is not.
Commonwealth City does not fear people who act.
It fears people who act without consequence.
So it offers a choice:
Register, train, and be accountable—
or act alone, briefly, and be noticed.
Either way, the City is watching.