An important understanding of the role public opinion plays in crime prevention policyDefund the police. This slogan became a rallying cry among Black Lives Matter protesters following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. These three words evoke a fundamental question about Americas policy priorities should the nation rely predominantly upon the branches of the criminal justice system to arrest prosecute and imprison offenders or should the nation prioritize fixing structural causes of crime by investing more heavily in the infrastructure and institutions of disadvantaged communities To put it simply do Americans actually prefer punishment over crime preventionThe Politics of Crime Prevention examines American public opinion about crime prevention in the twentyfirst century with a particular focus on how average citizens would choose to prioritize resources between the criminal justice system and communitybased institutions.