Scrafty are not cruel-hearted pokemon, but they are combative creatures and deeply loyal to their comrades, tendencies which often combine to lead these pokemon to the wrong side of the law. It is not uncommon for a wild Scrafty to steal food, or to feel slighted by some insult (real or imagined) and respond with a challenge to battle, and this is one battle which they will not easily be dissuaded from fighting.
These instances understandably lead to police retaliation, and the Scrafty, interpreting the police as packs of rivals, respond by calling for backup. The weight of human arms and domestic pokemon is difficult for Scrafty to defeat, although in some small towns type advantages and the weakness of the local police force can leave these pokemon too dangerous to bother. But police victories typically fail to have lasting consequences, for the Scrafty's crimes are often too petty to justify lengthy imprisonment, and few bars can hold these powerful, muscular pokemon anyway.
In this age of city-states and reduced police budgets, many police departments have sought to find a way to dissuade conflict between townspeople and Scrafty. But few approaches have been effective, and the contempt which many officers hold for the Scrafty has reduced the effectiveness of those which should theoretically work. So far, the most successful way to reduce the violent conflict between Scrafty and police has been to leave the Scrafty alone entirely, for compensating the victims of their petty crimes has proven far less expensive than trying to keep these pokemon in check. But few towns in Unova have proven willing to openly follow this policy, for the cost of fighting the Scrafty is far less expensive than the shame of admitting defeat.
