The perception of the public, running counter to the facts where the crime rates have dropped off dramatically since the early 1990s, is that crime is a serious problem and believes that crime is worse today than it was. Fear of crime should matter to law enforcement because fear of crime factors into people's decisions on where they go and what they do. In addition, even when crime rates fluctuate overall, the financial cost of crime continues to grow. There is the need for law enforcement to proceed toward a reasoned approach to an effective, long-term crime prevention policy. Until then, the public should be educated on crime, their risk of victimization, and prevention strategies. 26 notes