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[korora]

I posted a few days ago about a system for a market economy here, including individual valuation and dwarf-driven tasks; I propose economic discussion be moved to that thread in interest of keeping this one on topic.

That being said, I think a proper economy would essentially solve a lot of the crime system (among other lingering issues with DF).  A dwarf has opposing incentives: he wants an object (incentive to steal it) but doesn't want to be punished for taking it (incentive to be honest).  So, if his perceived cost of stealing is less than his valuation of the object, he'll just snatch it up.  Similar analysis applies to other crimes.

[Gantolandon]

You'd have to have gentleman criminals though, like a baron who sneaks out at night to steal artifacts and keep them in a secret stash.

It's not how the nobles solve their problems...

I am a collector, Mister Garrett. But there are some...items, that are not available for purchase. They must be acquired using other means. In this case the item in question would be best acquired by thieving. Not simple thieving...no. I need an artist. Like yourself.

That's more like it...

A dwarf has opposing incentives: he wants an object (incentive to steal it) but doesn't want to be punished for taking it (incentive to be honest).  So, if his perceived cost of stealing is less than his valuation of the object, he'll just snatch it up.  Similar analysis applies to other crimes.

Possible factors which would work against committing a crime:

• fear of punishment (maaaany subfactors)
• ethics (I don't know if there is a personality trait which cover this up?)
• fear of rejection (also many factors)
• fear of being caught (many factors)
• positive level of happiness

Possible factors which would encourage committing a crime:

• personal gain (worth of a stolen item, level of hatred against the victim, etc)
• unhappiness

Subfactors of fear of being caught (nullified by dwarf's bravery):

• number of possible witnesses (and their social position)
• number of guards in the fortress
• criminals/caught criminals ratio

Subfactors of fear of punishment (nullified by dwarf's bravery):

• social position of a victim (fame, skills, wealth, job)
• harshness of justice in the fortress (previous punishments value/crimes value ratio, Hammerer in the fortress, negative quality of cells in the fortress)

Subfactors of fear of rejection (nullified by dwarf's rebelliousness)

• dwarf's reputation (the higher he has, the less willing he will be to lose it)
• company (overall ethics and reputation of dwarves he spends time the most)
• victim's reputation (again!)
• government reputation (if the baron is the pompous jerk, the crime could be   considered a noble act of rebellion)

I forgot about one more important factor: isn't the goal easily attainable by legal means? A dwarf will not steal food if he can afford it. He will not steal a +rope reed sock+, unless there are shortages. And artifacts will have to be guarded all the time because there's no way similar one could be crafted and sold.

[Techhead]

Someone walking around wearing a +Rope reed sock+ isn't often noticed.
Someone walking around toting Mjolnir, an artifact steel hammer, would probably quite often get noticed.

And also, there aren't too many places to hide a Native Aluminum Millstone.
CoGuard: "Hey, that Baron over there loves millstones and was pissed over it being in the hammer's room instead. I wonder why his door is locked..."
Guard: "Hey hammerer, the Baron stole [or hired someone to steal] your millstone!!!"
Hammerer: "Someone going to get it... and I know who..."
CoGuard: "He's hiding in his room, and his wooden door is locked."
Hammerer: "Then I guess I'll come a-knocking"

[perilisk]

Someone walking around wearing a +Rope reed sock+ isn't often noticed.
Someone walking around toting Mjolnir, an artifact steel hammer, would probably quite often get noticed.

And also, there aren't too many places to hide a Native Aluminum Millstone.
CoGuard: "Hey, that Baron over there loves millstones and was pissed over it being in the hammer's room instead. I wonder why his door is locked..."
Guard: "Hey hammerer, the Baron stole [or hired someone to steal] your millstone!!!"
Hammerer: "Someone going to get it... and I know who..."

Yep, the first non-noble to look funny at the hammerer.

[mport2004]

No one has said this yet, so I probably shall be the first to do so.
*Ahem*

Dwarven Crime Squad

I can just see it now.  Seven dwarves in trench coats walk into the still packing crossbows and kidnap the brewer before retreating to their wagon resulting in the fortress guard engaging them in a high-speed donkey chase.

Back on topic in most of the fantasy texts on dwarves that I’ve seen they don’t seem very criminally inclined and if anything would have almost no crime
However these are toady’s dwarves and personally I would like them to cause trouble occasionally.