ACCORDING TO THE IDENTITY THEORY, CRIME IS INJURING SOMEONE ELSE BY NOT OBSERVING CONVENTIONS OR THE LAW, WHICH ONLY EXIST WHEN SEVERAL PERSONS OR MANY LIVE IN THE SAME COMMUNITY. IN BERLIN AFTER WORLD WAR TWO, THE SENSE OF IDENTITY WAS HIGH BECAUSE OF SHARED HARDSHIPS, AND THE CRIME RATE WAS LOW. BUT THE SENSE OF IDENTITY DECREASES AS THE IDEA OF THE 'OTHER PERSON' BECOMES MORE ABSTRACT, AND THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED MORE RECENTLY IN BERLIN. CLOSER POLICE CONTRACT WITH THE POPULATION, ON A PERSON-TO-PERSON BASIS, WOULD HAVE AN EXCELLENT PREVENTIVE EFFECT BECAUSE IT WOULD TEND TO ENHANCE THE SENSE OF IDENTITY. --IN GERMAN SEE NCJ-32505 FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATION.