The paper discusses how and why, to the extent that crime is a product of sociopolitical change, crime rates are bound to increase much more during a socialism-to-capitalism transition than during a capitalism-to-socialism one. Inherent traits of the socialism-to-capitalism transformation which may explain this increase include: (1) social discontent with negative social phenomena such as unemployment (which was always at zero level in socialism), increasing poverty, and a widening gap between the few rich business people and the overwhelming majority who have been getting poorer; (2) abuses committed in the process of ownership transformations by business people taking advantage of inconsistencies and gaps in the new capitalism's legal system; (3) capitalism's high level of personal initiative, entrepreneurship, courage, and risk-taking, whereas socialism took care of virtually everything; and (4) easing or border restrictions, allowing entry of criminal elements from abroad. Notes, references