A big role in why it is possible that there is so many player killers come down to the same thing, Clogg and mode switching. I remember few player groups tried to police their space, but because the perpetrators were able to move around in solo and pop up in different places it was impossible to give chase.
I believe a lot of this issues would solve itself organically, and a lot of places would feel different, crossing a powerplay border For example would mean something and criminals would dwell in anarchy systems. But it is too easy to avoid getting killed, be it by legitimate means or by exploits.
I don't think crime and punishment can solve that alone, definitely something has to be done about it, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a change. A lot of commanders like the way it is now because it is so convenient ignoring how much of a negative impact this have on a game.
