What to do with the first criminal?

> From: babbler36 [mailto:babbler36@...]
> It not a moot point. With populations of 10 000 to 250 000, space
> settlement will operate like small towns/cities (Even small countries
> may be up in arms over a very gurrsome murder, like Paul Detroux in
> Beligum). There is a greater sense of community as a whole than in
> large cities/metropolises. Viglantees and angry mobs may act on their
> own rage to punish the offender. Putting police to protect the
> offender would not work because (1) the police may just act just like
> te viglanetees and (2) the police would risk harming their public
> image as not protectors of the settlement and it vunerable, but a
> protectors of it preditors and criminal. The people may, at
> best, look
> at the police as ineffectal and therefore, bypassable in the name of
> justice, or at worst, be hostile to the police force, and try to
> replace.

The authority of the early colonies will, ultimately, be backed up by
governments or corporations back on earth. And THEY would probably take a
very dim view of such behaviour. And after paying $500B to build the colony,
they won't stint at paying $100M to evict EVERYONE if that's what it took to
restore order. In fact if done as a contract violation this could involve
the confiscation of company shares - which might work out cheeper for the
company. ;)

Either way, the colony would not be allowed to run it's own affairs any more
than any small/medium town in any country. Plus the colony would get a
*little* bit more media attention then the theoretical small town if it did
anything stupid.

ANTIcarrot.