DESPITE A SLIGHT DROP IN CRIME FROM 1965 TO 1973 AND A SLIGHT RISE FROM 1974 TO 1978, THE OVERALL CRIME RATE HAS REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME; SLIGHT DECREASES ARE EXPECTED IN THE FUTURE. THE RATE OF UNSOLVED CRIMES INCREASES CONSIDERABLY FROM 1977 TO 1978, ALTHOUGH SOLUTION RATES ARE HIGH FOR THE MOST COMMON CRIMES, E.G., THEFT. CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE, PEACE, AND HUMANITY, CRIMES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT AND JUSTICE, CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC SECURITY AND ORDER, AND CRIMES AGAINST THE ECONOMY ALL DECREASE IN THE PERIOD, BUT CRIMES AGAINST INDIVIDUALS (I.E., MURDER, SLANDER) REMAIN MORE FREQUENT IN HUNGARY THAN IN WESTERN EUROPE. CERTAIN CRIMES AGAINST THE FAMILY, YOUTH, AND SEXUAL MORALS HAVE INCREASED (E.G., FAILURE TO PROVIDE FAMILY SUPPORT), WHILE OTHERS (E.G., CRIMES AGAINST JUVENILES) HAVE DECREASED. CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY THEFT, MAKE UP HALF OF ALL CRIMES, AND THEFTS DOUBLE IN THE PERIOD 1965 TO 1978. HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC PROPERTY HAVE REMAINED THE SAME, ALTHOUGH THE TOTAL DAMAGES HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY. THE NUMBER OF CRIMINALS HAS DIMINISHED, INDICATING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES PER CRIMINAL. FEMALE CRIME RATES HAVE REMAINED THE SAME, WHILE THE NUMBER OF DELINQUENT CHILDREN AND JUVENILES, ESPECIALLY IN INDUSTRIALIZED URBAN AREAS, IS GROWING RAPIDLY. ALCOHOL AND CRIME ARE STILL CLOSELY LINKED: 13 PERCENT OF ALL OFFENSES AND 78 PERCENT OF OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER ARE COMMITTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. GYPSIES ARE, DESPITE THEIR SMALL NUMBERS, RESPONSIBLE FOR A RELATIVELY LARGE PROPORTION OF PROPERTY OFFENSES AND ROWDINESS; EVEN HIGHER RATES ARE ANTICIPATED BECAUSE OF THE RAPID INCREASE IN GYPSY BIRTH RATES. NOTES AND TABLES ARE FURNISHED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)