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It's not the 'honest' guy stealing to feed his family who causes the rise in crime.
Hard times bring despair among the weak. Despair, mixed with daily hopelessness and boredom leads to drug use in those areas where it is already part of the landscape.
Drug use leads to addiction. A jonesing junkie, crackhead or tweaker will hit anybody on the head if it means he can get well.
I saw plenty of it in the seventies.
But that is where it is my contention that only a belief in a benevolent God can prevent and/or halt that downward spiral. Without that, what stops one from justifying his behavior?