The violent street crime which most concerns the public represents a small proportion of total recorded crime. Complex social processes generate and sustain public anxieties about law and order. The mass media, the police, the judiciary, politicians, and various others may play significent roles in these processes. The newspapers and television have a major influence on fear of crime. In addition, the concept of moral panic underscores the way in which attention focuses on particular issues. Furthermore, concern about law and order may indicate the anxiety and resentment resulting from social changes in British society. Moreover, the focus on the issue also reflects the apparent failure of the criminal justice system to cope with the problem or to develop a coherent penal policy. As a result, the public is more intent on treating offenders more harshly than on changing fundamental social and economic conditions. Fifty-seven references are listed.