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What are the Causes of Increasing Street Crimes in Our Society?
Public place criminal offenses such as pickpocketing, illegal drug trade, and mugging are
among the most common street crimes. Crime has been noted as a significant challenge to
civilization despite its increase over time, leading to the adverse effects on the US national
profile. Street crime has significantly contributed to this image since hundreds of citizens report
cases of street crimes every day (Meagher). It is due to the need to salvage the situation that the
US government allocated 31.8 billion dollars to the Justice Department in 2016 to curb the vice.
Increased urbanization has also rendered many people homeless, forcing them to engage in street
crimes to earn a living (Meagher). However, to tackle the issue entirely, there is a need to
understand the causes of the crimes since their prevalence can be attributed to the US's social and
economic inconsistencies.
Unemployment is one of the leading causes of increased street crime. With an increased
number of idle but needy citizens, sociologists have identified the rate of unemployment as an
indicator of the "supply of suitable victims" (Melick 30). As a result of the increased
unemployment, people have sought for illegal ways of making a profit, thus ending up falling
under street criminals. Furthermore, with increased unemployment, society has recorded an
increased number of alcohol and drug addicts who make up a significant percentage of these
street criminals. Additionally, an increase in the number of people with mental disabilities due to