The problem of urban crime is becoming more urgent as the world's population is concentrating in urban areas, particularly in developing countries. Large cities in the developing world are on the way to outnumbering large cities in the developed world. The historical trend, which suggests that the size of a city is determined by the level of economic development, is now being reversed. At present rates, cities in the developing countries will double their population every 20 years, compared with only every 70 years in industrialized countries. Of the 33 largest cities in 1990-those with a population of more than 5 million-22 were located in developing countries. [4]

Industrialization is no longer the driving force behind urbanization. In developing countries, urbanization may occur because of the failure of rural areas to support the population. For instance, environmental degradation has become a powerful force, as peasant farmers are no longer able to use land that has been overcropped, overgrazed or reduced to desert. Individuals move to urban areas often without any community attachments, family structure or legitimate means of surviving.