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Crime and justice are issues that are never far from the public eye and the level of crime is a major political subject. There is much debate about the reasons behind criminal activity with many people believing that socio-economic conditions are the major influences. Others believe that a breakdown in the concept of communities, or changes in something more intrinsic such as morality, or a perceived softening of law and order are more to blame for the level of crime.
In addition to the actual criminal activity taking place there has also been increasing discussion on the best way of measuring incidents of crime. The traditional measurements were based on the crimes reported to the police, however it is clear that a considerable number of crimes remain unreported. In addition to the actual crimes taking place another major concern is the fear of crime that is experienced by people.
This chapter seeks to provide an over view of the nature and impact of crime and the measures used to deal with it.
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