Note: This is a roleplay I tried to air a couple of months earlier but that crumpled before I got the chance to properly do so. Let's hope second time's the charm.
An island within the confinements of the United States, Jericho's history is one out of a Frank Miller novel. Composed of 920 sq. kilometers (571 sq. miles) of a predominantly urbanized region, the island is widely recognized as being independent to the mainland United States, it's only link a bridge with the state of California, specifically the city of San Francisco. It's secession was concluded in the mid-1990s after the signing of what is now known as, the Jericho Act. The act prevents the United States from meddling in the local government's affairs, and military intervention is only permitted if the governing body asks for it, or breaks any of the international treaties concerning human rights and the basics. The island is also famed for it's low crime rate, with recent studies showing an average of only six percent of criminal activity in the area while there are no traces of organized crime whatsoever. Many analysts have come to the conclusion that they owe the abolishment of organized crime only to the island's militarized police force, RedWatch. Surprisingly, that wasn't always the case.
In the early 1960s, in the wake the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US with Jericho under it's jurisdiction was hit by a sudden wave of vigilantism. Mob bosses were disappearing, common citizens found dead in the streets, people risking their lives to fight criminal activity in their area, to do something that their local police was continuously stumbling at. This wave gave birth to some who were extraordinarily good at vigilantism, which in turn inspired more people to go out and put their lives in danger. To make matters worse, the arrival of vigilantes only served as a beacon for criminals to force their hand on their territories, essentially creating an endless cycle of violence. Out of the US territories most populated by vigilantes, it was Jericho which took the top spot.
While every major city in America was "gifted" with at least one notorious masked vigilante, Jericho's high crime rate made it a sanctuary for the wicked, with over twelve of them roaming the streets. Boston had "Cleaver", a vigilante/serial killer who targeted criminals. Chicago had "Handsome Jack", a brutal brawler responsible for the imprisonment of many Italian mob bosses. San Francisco had "Candlewick", a prominent arsonist. Jericho's most famous one out of the [in]famous thirteen was The Shepherd, who thanks to his efforts in saving innocent lives in an incident involving a burning orphanage, was permitted to have a statue built in his honor after his supposed death even though the government itself publicly opposed his actions. Six months after his demise, fractions of the local government headed by then-mayor of Jericho, Desmond Reacher, appealed to the larger governing body with what would later become the Jericho Act. Since the act clashed with the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, it took around 12 years of diplomacy, backroom dealings and the imminent threat of a second civil war for the theory to become a reality.
Finally, after taking in consideration the people's pleas for a secession and the growing political pressure, the state of Jericho announced it's peaceful departure from the Union in 1993. Two years later, the militarized force known as RedWatch would take over from the police and would begin an anti-crime campaign, gradually making Jericho the safest place to raise your kids.
Now, it's the year of 2020. Crime's dropped to a whooping six percent, organized crime doesn't exist and there are only shadows of the once-famous vigilante roaming the island. RedWatch's success in providing safety to the inhabitants of Jericho has not gone unnoticed by leading elements within the political circle of the United States, who are looking to ratify an agreement for the force to take over all the 50 states.
~ Welcome to Jericho
An island within the confinements of the United States, Jericho's history is one out of a Frank Miller novel. Composed of 920 sq. kilometers (571 sq. miles) of a predominantly urbanized region, the island is widely recognized as being independent to the mainland United States, it's only link a bridge with the state of California, specifically the city of San Francisco. It's secession was concluded in the mid-1990s after the signing of what is now known as, the Jericho Act. The act prevents the United States from meddling in the local government's affairs, and military intervention is only permitted if the governing body asks for it, or breaks any of the international treaties concerning human rights and the basics. The island is also famed for it's low crime rate, with recent studies showing an average of only six percent of criminal activity in the area while there are no traces of organized crime whatsoever. Many analysts have come to the conclusion that they owe the abolishment of organized crime only to the island's militarized police force, RedWatch. Surprisingly, that wasn't always the case.
In the early 1960s, in the wake the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US with Jericho under it's jurisdiction was hit by a sudden wave of vigilantism. Mob bosses were disappearing, common citizens found dead in the streets, people risking their lives to fight criminal activity in their area, to do something that their local police was continuously stumbling at. This wave gave birth to some who were extraordinarily good at vigilantism, which in turn inspired more people to go out and put their lives in danger. To make matters worse, the arrival of vigilantes only served as a beacon for criminals to force their hand on their territories, essentially creating an endless cycle of violence. Out of the US territories most populated by vigilantes, it was Jericho which took the top spot.
While every major city in America was "gifted" with at least one notorious masked vigilante, Jericho's high crime rate made it a sanctuary for the wicked, with over twelve of them roaming the streets. Boston had "Cleaver", a vigilante/serial killer who targeted criminals. Chicago had "Handsome Jack", a brutal brawler responsible for the imprisonment of many Italian mob bosses. San Francisco had "Candlewick", a prominent arsonist. Jericho's most famous one out of the [in]famous thirteen was The Shepherd, who thanks to his efforts in saving innocent lives in an incident involving a burning orphanage, was permitted to have a statue built in his honor after his supposed death even though the government itself publicly opposed his actions. Six months after his demise, fractions of the local government headed by then-mayor of Jericho, Desmond Reacher, appealed to the larger governing body with what would later become the Jericho Act. Since the act clashed with the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, it took around 12 years of diplomacy, backroom dealings and the imminent threat of a second civil war for the theory to become a reality.
Finally, after taking in consideration the people's pleas for a secession and the growing political pressure, the state of Jericho announced it's peaceful departure from the Union in 1993. Two years later, the militarized force known as RedWatch would take over from the police and would begin an anti-crime campaign, gradually making Jericho the safest place to raise your kids.
Now, it's the year of 2020. Crime's dropped to a whooping six percent, organized crime doesn't exist and there are only shadows of the once-famous vigilante roaming the island. RedWatch's success in providing safety to the inhabitants of Jericho has not gone unnoticed by leading elements within the political circle of the United States, who are looking to ratify an agreement for the force to take over all the 50 states.
