9781422280270

C rime blights American society—and, in- deed, many societies around the world— eating away at the fabric of our nation. In the most prosperous country on Earth, life is im- poverished for many by anxiety and fear; in times of peace, crime has turned our inner cities into virtual war zones. It is not just the horrors of large-scale narcotrafficking or mass-murder that make for misery. “Minor” crimes, such as vandalism, are also a major problem. How are we to tack- le the problem? In recent years, police officers and criminologists have been considering this question in some depth and have come up with new ideas and initiatives for catching criminals. More intriguing, however, they have also been re- viewing the traditional role of a “reactive” police force—which responds to a call from the com- munity after a crime has been committed. Now,

A jobless man sits on a windowsill in a high-crime area on Chicago’s South Side in 1973.

Words to Understand Criminologists: People who study crime, criminals, or punishment of criminals. Narcotrafficking: Smuggling and trading illegal narcotics (drugs), such as cocaine. Utopia: Ideal or perfect world.

S topping C rime : T he P olice

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