"Istanbul’s Crime Conundrum
The Turkish metropolis is one of the world’s safest big cities—but burglaries are booming. Why?
A vibrant street life helps curb most crime.
I walk alone through almost every neighborhood of Istanbul, often at night. This is a megacity of at least 12 million people, many of whom are poor and three-quarters of whom are under 35. Income distribution is gravely unequal. I am nonetheless less afraid—much less afraid—that I will be a victim of violent crime here than I am when I walk through London, Paris, or any big American city."
More:Istanbul’s Crime Conundrum by Claire Berlinski, City Journal Summer 2009
