Street crime

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Street crime is a loose term for criminal offences taking place in public places. It has moved to occupy the place once held by mugging. According to London's Metropolitan Police Force, street crime is

Robbery, often called 'mugging', and also includes thefts from victims in the street where property is snatched and the victim is not assaulted. [1]

Crime on the streets of a city may include many other types of offences, for example pickpocketing, the open carrying-on of the illegal drugs trade, prostitution in the form of soliciting outside the law, the creation of graffiti and vandalism of public property, and assaults. As a generic term street crime may include all of these, as well as offences against private property such as the proverbial stealing of hub caps. The adoption of zero tolerance policies for lower-level, non-violeences has been based on an argument that there are links.