AMERICAN LAWS HAVE PROFOUND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS IN THAT THEY REQUIRE HUGE AMOUNTS OF RESOURCES FOR EVEN SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT, LABEL MANY PEOPLE AS CRIMINAL, AND MAKE CERTAIN TYPES OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, SUCH AS GAMBLING, EXTREMELY PROFITABLE. WITH THE CURRENT DRIVE TO REDUCE TAXES, CITIES FACED WITH ALLOCATION OF DECREASING RESOURCES SHOULD CONDUCT COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES OF THEIR LAWS AND DECIPHER RESULTANT COSTS OF ENFORCING REGULATIONS ON THE BASIS OF A CLEAR AND SPECIFIC STATEMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE GOALS (E.G., REDUCE THE BURGLARY RATE BY 5 PERCENT). ONCE THE GOALS, TARGET GROUP TO BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW POLICY, AND ALTERNATIVES TO DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND ASSESSMENT CAN BE MADE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS RESPONSES TO THE PROBLEM. SUCH AN APPROACH PROVIDES AN EMPIRICAL BASIS FOR CHOOSING THOSE ALTERNATIVES THAT PRODUCE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FOR SOCIETY FROM THE MINIMUM EXPENDITURE OF RESOURCES< DATA ON THE OUTCOMES OF NEW ENFORCEMENT POLICY SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND FED BACK INTO THE RESOURCE ALLOCATION DECISIONMAKING PROCESS. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)