With unemployment and boredom rife in Mega-City One, many citizens, especially juves, join gangs. Many gangs identify with and recruit solely from a single block, whilst others pull in members from all across the city, attracted to the gang’s philosophy, colours, or charismatic leader. Many gangs will simply protect their own territory and try to take control of the local ‘black economy’ of illegal drugs and other banned substances such as tobacco, sugar, Umpty Candy and 20th-century comic books. Other gangs identify with causes or crazes, including the many anti-robot and anti-mutant outfits such as the ‘Neon Knights’ and ‘Purity First’ or anti-Judge and pro-democracy terrorism like the ‘Total War’ group. Others go on to specialise in organised crime such as body-sharking, organ-legging, alien- and perp-running!

To the average Mega-City One inhabitant, the most obvious symbol of the power and authority of the Justice Department is the Street Judge. These formidable individuals are responsible for the strict enforcement of the law on the dangerous streets of the ‘Big Meg', where they act as judge, jury and executioner. Crimes ranging from littering to first-degree murder fall within their remit and the punishments of a perpetrator can vary from a stern word of admonition, a crack on the head with a daystick, to imprisonment in an isolation cube or, in the most serious cases, a Lawgiver execution round. Becoming a Judge is a lifelong undertaking and many individuals falter on the arduous path. Some end up on the streets disenchanted and bitter at what might have been whilst for many Street Judges Resyk will be their final destination.