I know you locked this but let me point you in a direction as a fellow user who saw crime zone in it's glory and I agree with everything you said, and it has been over complicated for awhile:

The best crimezone was when it was just the detectives, and the general public who witnessed events like weird scribblings on walls or random bombs and explosions. There were mysteries, and everyone was able to post their thoughts and clues on the forums for discussion. Everyone was able to participate even if they were not detectives. The imperial knights were there to protect the public and move them out of harms way at a given notice, they had a role to play. I think if it was able to go back to simple stuff like this, it'd be pretty cool.

I'm excited for what's next, and I hope the news reporters are ready for it!