CONTRARY TO WESTERN THOUGHT WHICH HOLDS THAT INCREASED CRIME IS INEVITABLE IN ALL THE DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, INDEPENDENT OF THEIR SOCIAL STRUCTURE OR POLITICAL AND STATE SYSTEMS SOVIET CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH INDICATES THAT INCREASED CRIME CANNOT BE BLAMED ON THE TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS WHICH INFLUENCES THE RAPID GROWTH IN THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH AN ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN A SOCIALIST SOCIETY IS DIRECTED TOWARDS AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING. THE BROAD ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRAM FOR BRINGING ABOUT CHANGES IN SOVIET SOCIETY IS SUMMARIZED. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT CRIME ELIMINATION DEPENDS PRIMARILY ON AN INCREASE IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING AND IN THE CULTURAL LEVEL OF THE CITIZENS. CRIME PREVENTION IN THE MAJORITY OF NEWLY BUILT CITIES IS DISCUSSED; A WHOLE SYSTEM OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WITHIN THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. THESE MEASURES INCLUDE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES FOR THE POPULATION, INCORPORATED IN THE PLANS FOR 'SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT' OF DIFFERENT CITIES, REGIONS, PROVINCES, AND REPUBLICS. SO-CALLED SOCIAL AND MILITIA UNITS CARRY OUT PREVENTIVE WORK IN THE HOUSING AREA THROUGH INTERACTION BETWEEN THE EFFORTS OF SOCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES. THESE BASIC UNITS PROVIDE MAXIMUM CONTACT BETWEEN POLICE AND POPULATION AND OBTAIN SUCCESSFUL RESULTS IN PREVENTIVE WORK WITH PERSONS WHO DEVIATE FROM THE NORMS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. THE WORK IN A BASIC UNIT IS ORGANIZED BY A SOCIAL COMMITTEE ON CRIME PREVENTION CREATED FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IT CONSISTS OF A DEPUTY GROUP AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PARTY AND TRADE UNIONS, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES OF FIRMS AND ORGANIZATIONS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT IN A SOCIALIST SOCIETY, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS PLAYS A POSITIVE ROLE IN ESTABLISHING DISCIPLINE, STRENGTHENS LAW AND ORDER AND THE MORALS OF THE CITIZENS, AND CONSEQUENTLY RESULTS IN DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ANTISOCIAL ACTS. -- IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN.