I've been APD for a hot min, done my fair share of being the punching bag of the server.
25 civs with BW gear, full auto 7.62, maybe sprinkle a couple of frits and stackable clothing in there vs 8 cops that is mostly Tier 2 vests and only one or two 7.62 users is literal cancer.
I would do the exact same in King's shoes, ya know, actually taking JrAPD into account and showing some basic leadership skills. SAPD should not be afraid to use handbook rules full stop. Then just to get them overruled by some guy that plays as a Corp 4 hours a week and doesn't interact with 99% of APD except in his own circle? Yeah no wonder even POs and deps have to be afraid of losing rank every time we fight a fed event. Everyone suddenly becomes an expert on the poorly written and vague ass book.
On to the 25 civs issue,
Im gonna use Anzus as an example as in my opinion they do majors well in keeping it balanced
8.1 - When civilians conduct a major crime, they must use the correct number of members involved in dispatch and you can not change the civilian numbers at the major crime after it has started. You also must use the correct choice of firearm, if you have 1 or more class 3s you must select class 3. You must text police via dispatch app what clothing you're wearing.
8.2 If civilians do not state in the dispatch that they want to negotiate during a major crime, 1km around the major crime marker becomes KOS between the civilians doing the major crime and the police responding to the major crime.
8.3 - You cannot initiate or interfere with a major crime if you are not involved. This includes police that are staging to respond to a major crime.
8.4 - Civilians cannot outnumber cops during a major crime, it must be a minimum of 1.5 LEOs to 1 civilian (1.5-1)
8.5 - Once shots are fired at the major crime you may not attend if you are not on the server/if you disconnect.
8.6 - You cannot shoot through windows, walls, or doors at major crime locations. (Also when major crimes are not active) You may shoot through the interior windows of the decagon major crime.
8.7 - You cannot start a major crime 30 minutes before and after a server restart. Majors can only be started 30 minutes after the last major crime has concluded.
8.8 - A major crime can be called off by the highest-ranking staff member online, in cooperation with the highest-ranking cop online, if they deem that adequate response numbers cannot be met (this is not the only reason, but the main one).
8.9 - Police must respond to a major crime in order to meet response numbers.
Notice how all the things that make fighting a fed on cop cancerous are rules? @ Headtaps knows these all too well, the only thing cops complain about over there are the weapons civs use in majors, that's literally it. You can say im comparing apples to oranges but I think if we had some of these or maybe one being 8.4, Feds wont go like "Hey a big group is up, log out if you dont want to fight the fed."