Law and Order

While the world today is much more established than it has been in the past, Organization between City States and settlement is still quite limited. While this is the case, many municipalities pledge to uphold some form of civic order and disalighn themselves with the common bandit. While this is done through civility, governance, and public service, it is also accomplished through the condemnation of actions viewed as damaging, untoward, or otherwise uncivilised.
This condemnation can be through policies and fines issued by or enforced by a guardsman but this then is limited to the bounds of the City-State itself. In order to promote greater restrictions and condemnation of violent or disorderly acts many city states look to organizations beyond their walls to enforce justice and condemn violent criminals. This manifests in two ways, closed and open bounties.
Closed bounties are often contracts between mercinary groups and authorities within a City State but may also be made by private individuals. Essentially, this is the hiring of a specific mercinary group to carry out whatever justice has been metted toward an individual or group. These are often quite specific and particular and can involve anything from capture to extermination.
Open bounties are used for criminal elements that are either elusive or extremely well known. While they may still have some specialization or stipulation, groups or individuals are given free reign on how to carry out the object of interest. While many governments look to avoid the employ of open bounties becasue of the competitive element they create many will release open bounties for repeat offenders or emergencies as needed.
This being said, the world is vast and its corners many. There are those who swear away from society in order to live a less constrained lifestyle. While the legality of civilised life may evade them for the moment, the law of claw and fang applies to all.