VRChat, a popular virtual reality social application, has played host to plenty of strange roleplaying groups in the past, and the latest trendy phenomenon is no different - an increasingly large group of players are coming together to form the bizarre "Loli Police Department."

Founded by a game developer from Texas, the Loli Police Department, or LPD, is a group of nearly 11,000 VRChat players with in-game avatars designed to look like "lolis," young anime women, dressed as police officers. With no actual moderating power, the LPD's activities mostly consist of carrying out faux arrests on unsuspecting players, accusing them of carrying drugs or using so-called "illegal mirrors" within the game, according to Input Magazine.

RELATED: Getting Started With Virtual Reality: Which Headset Is Right for You?

Naturally, none of the LPD's "arrests" have any real consequences aside from potential embarrassment, but that hasn't stopped some of its members from coming under fire. The optics of running a police department, even an imaginary one, have drawn criticism in the wake of recent waves of police violence in the United States, and there's no shortage of controversy surrounding "loli" aesthetics in general, which draw their name from the infamous novel Lolita and have been the subject of legal and moral arguments in multiple countries for years. Unsurprisingly, this has led some players to position themselves as staunchly anti-LPD.

Still, others see the organization as a force for good in the bizarre and confusing world of VRChat. When they aren't busy "arresting" people, LPD members have made efforts to make the environment more inviting for new players. In addition, many members of the LPD have used their membership as an opportunity to expand their social skills and allow themselves to become more comfortable interacting with others. The creator was even able to use his history with the LPD to gain some professional leverage in the world of 3D design.

RELATED: How Exclusive Franchises Like Until Dawn Can Bring PlayStation VR to the Forefront

Both controversial and deeply silly, the LPD has taken VRChat by storm and shows no sign of slowing. With more than 10,000 players proclaiming their membership and even more newly aware of their presence, the roleplaying group has become a part of the strange and delicate fabric of the application.

Source: Input