Crime has an enormous cost on the economy that is mostly unseen. There's the obvious cost of prisons and the legal system. And the cost of door locks and securi

Crime has an enormous cost on the economy that is mostly unseen. There's the obvious cost of prisons and the legal system. And the cost of door locks and security cameras and insurance, etc. But more than that is the opportunity cost. People avoid cities and areas with high crime rates which decimates the economies of those areas. See "white flight" and all the problems it causes. People flee to the suburbs partially because they see it as safer. Industry and businesses leave too, making the problem even worse. I am having a great deal of trouble finding the source, but I've read this costs trillions of dollars. Lowering the crime rate would have enormous positive impact on society and the economy. There's other costs too. Children basically aren't allowed outside anymore. Decades ago kids were allowed to play and explore freely all on their own. But now parents are so scared for their safety and won't let them leave the house. If you had ubiquitous surveillance, there would be no child abductions (or at least they would be quickly caught.) I think that alone would make it worth the cost. >Problems such as then homelessness, the hungry. Solve those problems and crime will decrease forever. I see no evidence of this. At least in first world countries, the majority of criminals are not starving or homeless.