Why doesn't Ponyville have any law enforcement?

[ggg-2 3,555]

Canterlot has the Royal Guard, Manehatten has a police force, even Appleloosa, which seems considerably smaller than Ponyville, has its own sheriff. Ponyville doesn't have anything of the sort when it comes to upholding the law.

[Attack of the Pwns 894]

Ponyville does have a police force, they just spend all day at Pony Joe's Doughnuts. (Sorry to any policemen who don't like this stereotype, I just couldn't resist.)

 

But seriously, I think they exist, we just haven't seen any yet. Besides , what would there be for them to do?

[The Awesome One 1,315]

Maybe they do have a police station or a town sheriff but we just haven't seen on screen yet? Although I will admit that is unlikely because if there was any policing force in Ponyville we would have seen them at least once during the appearance of a villain or a bunny stampede.

 

I guess they just don't need a police force because they don't get any trouble in their area.

[Omar 692]

They probably don't have much law enforcement because there's barely any crime in ponyville.

[Firedog 321]

LOL, it seems like ponyville gets into trouble all the time, they should invest in getting law enforcement. Of course mare mayor isn't going to fork over the cash, gonna hog it all on spending money on building lasertag arenas. Dang mayor

Edited April 30, 2015 by Firedog

[RarityFan01 2,444]

The Mane Six are the law enforcement officers!  

[Saylor Scout 66]

Well- to be fair, how many times do you see illegal drugs, robbery, gang fights, molesting, or even murder in Ponyville?

[colt .45 259]

They have no laws to enforce. Ponyville is a defacto Anarchist community. That's why the mane six had to stop Starlight Glimmer and stop her and her form of government she was trying to brainwash ponys into believing.

[ThatOneComrade 1,092]

Because the magic of friendship is so nearby. They'd never be able to escape before getting zapped with weaponized friendship.

[Xenomorphic 362]

Well, They have the mane six and they have the power of a entire police force.

[Honsou 399]

Ponyville does have a police force, they just spend all day at Pony Joe's Doughnuts. (Sorry to any policemen who don't like this stereotype, I just couldn't resist.)

 

But seriously, I think they exist, we just haven't seen any yet. Besides , what would there be for them to do?

Pony Joe's donuts is at Canterlot. You sir fail at this police poke. You know why we eat donuts? Because they have a lot of sugar, and when you're prowling the night you will suck down tremendous amounts of caffeine, sugar and tobacco.

[Chrysa 28]

Who needs a police force when any "business competition" of the Apple Family gets squashed faster than a drunk snail at a barn dance?

 

The Apples keep things safe, funded by generous "donations" by a grateful and proud populace.

 

No need to go upsetting the peace with your questions, y'all understand?

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,178]

They have 6 mares prancing about friendship all the time..... That all you really need apparently.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Well a lot of small towns might only have one or two law enforcement officials because there simply isn't much demand for them.

 

Ponyville might be a crazy cartoon burg that regularly gets trashed by monsters and (un)natural disasters but there isn't much in the way of crime there. So Mayor Mare just might not see much of a point in having that large a police presence to keep the peace . . . the peace doesn't need keeping.

They have no laws to enforce. Ponyville is a defacto Anarchist community. That's why the mane six had to stop Starlight Glimmer and stop her and her form of government she was trying to brainwash ponys into believing.

 

Is that why Ponyville has an elected Mayor and the townsfolk kneel in deference to Princess Celesita? 

[Firedog 321]

Who needs a police force when any "business competition" of the Apple Family gets squashed faster than a drunk snail at a barn dance?

 

The Apples keep things safe, funded by generous "donations" by a grateful and proud populace.

 

No need to go upsetting the peace with your questions, y'all understand?

Applejack I demand lower prices for cider! Prices are ridiculously high for apple cider theses days and you kicked the competition out of town. Even though flim and flam could sell your cider for cheaper and save time... You are starting to become a monopoly....

[Denim&Venöm 20,431]

Maybe they're all plain clothes officers? Maybe ponyville is patrolled by a civilian militia? Maybe they realize that a conventional police force (or military for that matter) is powerless & obsolete in the face of Nightmare Moon, Discord & Tirek and useless in the presence of the Elements of Harmony or the Princesses who can generate the energy and the force needed to move planetary objects from hundreds of millions of miles away? 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Its plausible they a reserve militia? Eh just a jab. I mean they don't have an obvious law enforcement, Ponyville crime seems to be non existent.

 

Or the mane six could be seen as the "local militia." ? After all they did solve most of Ponyville's major problems and disasters.

[BlackWater627 700]

Because the magic of friendship is so nearby. They'd never be able to escape before getting zapped with weaponized friendship.

 

I agree. Ponyville has had a lot of problems but why have police when the Mane6 always take care of it? Rainbow laser for the win. 

[Justin_Case001 4,933]

The Mane Six are the law enforcement officers!

Well, They have the mane six and they have the power of a entire police force.

Not to be a downer (because I really, really love all of the six), but logically speaking, it seems to me that if anything, Ponyville could use some sort of guard force to keep the mane six in check and stop them from getting out of hoof.  As has been pointed out recently, things like the parasprite invasion, the Inspiration Manifestation crisis, the Cloudsdale weather factory destruction, and a number of magic related mishaps, have been the fault of the six.  I mean, they also save the world all the time, but, y'know, just saying.  (Excuse me, Mr. Stormtrooper, these are the mares you're looking for.)

[RarityFan01 2,444]

Not to be a downer (because I really, really love all of the six), but logically speaking, it seems to me that if anything, Ponyville could use some sort of guard force to keep the mane six in check and stop them from getting out of hoof.  As has been pointed out recently, things like the parasprite invasion, the Inspiration Manifestation crisis, the Cloudsdale weather factory destruction, and a number of magic related mishaps, have been the fault of the six.  I mean, they also save the world all the time, but, y'know, just saying.  (Excuse me, Mr. Stormtrooper, these are the mares you're looking for.)

Pinkie got rid of the parasprites, Twilight got rid of Rarity's dark magic, and we don't know about the weather problem. Probably Rainbow Dash.

[Pastel 7,630]

Because everyone is so nice.

 

Unless the writers decide to introduce a police in an episode because someone committed a fault.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Blobulle

[Grumpy Enchantress 587]

Pinkie Pie eats anyone who breaks the law. 

[colt .45 259]

Well a lot of small towns might only have one or two law enforcement officials because there simply isn't much demand for them.

 

Ponyville might be a crazy cartoon burg that regularly gets trashed by monsters and (un)natural disasters but there isn't much in the way of crime there. So Mayor Mare just might not see much of a point in having that large a police presence to keep the peace . . . the peace doesn't need keeping.

 

 

Is that why Ponyville has an elected Mayor and the townsfolk kneel in deference to Princess Celesita? 

Anarchist can appoint an organizational leader, such as Mayor Mare is. This dose'nt give her the authority to legislate or enforce laws.

As for how they react to Princess Celestia, kneeling before the immortal being, who literally holds the key to your existence in her hooves, by raising and lowering the sun. Well, that just makes sense.

I agree with you. In a society where everypony respects each other and civic disputes are mediated fairly. There's no need for laws.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Anarchist can appoint an organizational leader, such as Mayor Mare is. This dose'nt give her the authority to legislate or enforce laws.

As for how they react to Princess Celestia, kneeling before the immortal being, who literally holds the key to your existence in her hooves, by raising and lowering the sun. Well, that just makes sense.

I agree with you. In a society where everypony respects each other and civic disputes are mediated fairly. There's no need for laws.

I think you are projecting your own political model unto Ponyville is my point. We don't know the extent of Mayor Mare's authority nor its limit. I've read fictional depictions of anarchist communities, none of them had anything resembling a mayor and even if they did, they wouldn't call them such.

 

I'm not saying anarchy is bad, just that Ponyville wouldn't be an example of it. One piece of evidence? The very first episode after the pilot. When the ponies here of Twilight's spare ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, you can here one of them say "I'll do your taxes."

 

No true anarchist community would support state taxation.

 

I didn't mean small towns like Ponyville don't HAVE laws, they just don't need an entire precinct to enforce them because of low population and just a collective family culture. Niton, Alabama might only have one sheriff and an acting deputy who never has to do anything, that doesn't make them supporters or examples of anarchists.

[Cwanky 17,749]

Considering that Ponyville is ran by a questionably competent mayor who seems to do more posturing than policy, and they seem to always be repairing the damage caused by 1 disaster or accident after another - the parasprites early on and most recently Tirek - its surprising that it has enough of a budget to pay for anything.

 

Heck even without a disaster, the town's order and economy seem to collapse when the Mane 6 go AWOL in Magical Mystery Cure. 

 

If it wasn't for the Mane 6 and especially Applejack and the Apple Family, Ponyville would be bankrupt and in ruins by now. AJ is the real mayor of Ponyville.