BASED ON A REVIEW OF LITERATURE CONCERNING THE CAUSES OF CRIME, STAGES IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A CRIMINAL ARE DESCRIBED. CRIME DATA FOR 1972 AND 1971 CENSUS INFORMATION FOR MOST OF TORONTO (CANADA) WERE COMPARED TO DETERMINE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CRIME AND OTHER FACTORS IN INDIVIDUAL AREAS. THE OFFENSES STUDIED WERE LIMITED TO CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, BREAKING AND ENTERING, AUTO THEFT, PROPERTY THEFT, AND OTHER CRIMINAL CODE OFFENSES. THE USE OF SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER TECHNIQUES TENDED TO ISOLATE THE RESEARCHERS FROM THE BASIC DATA AND MADE SOME INTERPRETATIONS DIFFICULT. A STATISTICAL PROFILE OF TORONTO'S CRIME AND SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS INCLUDED INFORMATION ON FAMILY STRUCTURE, IMMIGRATION, ETHNIC GROUPS, EDUCATION, AND HOUSING. UNEMPLOYMENT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE WITH A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP TO RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME. OTHER CRIMINAL CODE OFFENSES DEMONSTRATED A STRONG RELATIONSHIP TO POOR ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. IN EXAMINING THE RATES OF BREAK AND ENTER CRIMES, THE EXISTENCE OF APARTMENTS WAS THE CRUCIAL FACTOR, NOT THE INCOME OF THE POPULATION. FURTHER RESEARCH CONFIRMED THAT AREAS WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF APARTMENTS HAD HIGH CRIME RATES NO MATTER WHAT THE INCOME. THIS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO CONDITIONS OF APARTMENT LIVING; APARTMENT DWELLERS DO NOT KNOW ALL THEIR NEIGHBORS, HAVE FEW DEFENSIVE FEELINGS ABOUT PUBLIC AREAS SUCH AS HALLWAYS, AND ARE NOT SUSPICIOUS OF STRANGERS. APARTMENTS ARE ALSO PRONE TO CRIMINAL ATTACK AND DIFFICULT FOR POLICE BECAUSE OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN. RISING HOME PRICES WILL FORCE MORE PEOPLE INTO APARTMENTS, AND STANDARDS SHOULD BE LEGISLATED TO LIMIT THEIR VULNERABILITY TO CRIME. STATISTICAL TABLES ARE APPENDED. (MJM)