THE YOUNG ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY INVOLVED IN CRIME. LONDON ARREST DATA SHOW THAT IN 1975, PERSONS AGE 15-24 YEARS HAD MUCH HIGHER ARREST RATES THAN ANY OTHER AGE GROUP AND ACCOUNTED FOR 52 PERCENT OF WHITE AND 57 PERCENT OF BLACK INDICTABLE ARRESTS. SINCE THOSE ARRESTED ARE NOT USUALLY ASKED ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY, THE EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT ARE HARDER TO ASSESS. HOWEVER, TIME AND LACK OF MONEY ARE GOOD REASONS FOR EXPECTING THE UNEMPLOYED TO TAKE TO CRIME, AND SAMPLES OF DETECTED OFFENDERS SHOW HIGH RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT. ANALYSES ALSO REPORT CORRELATIONS BETWEEN REPORTED CRIME RATES AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATES OVER TIME. BLACK REPRESENTATION AMONG THE YOUNG AND UNEMPLOYED WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY INCREASE, FOLLOWED BY HIGH RATES OF BLACK REPRESENTATION AMONG THOSE ARRESTED AND CONVICTED. THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS OF BLACKS ARRESTED AND CONVICTED WILL PROBABLY ESCALATE RAPIDLY INTO THE 1980'S AND PERHAPS BEYOND. THESE NUMBERS ARE ALREADY HIGH, AND THE PROSPECT OF FURTHER INCREASES CANNOT BE VIEWED WITH EQUANIMITY EITHER BY THE BRITISH COMMUNITY, ITS BLACK MEMBERS, NOR BY THE POLICE. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (MJW)