--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Society had a crime problem. It hired…" description: "\"Society had a crime problem. It hired cops to attack crime. Now society has a cop problem.\" — Tom Robbins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/tom-robbins-169_cop_society-had-a-crime-problem-it-hired-cop_2842234.jpg" --- # Society had a crime problem. It hired cops to attack… ![“Society had a crime problem. It hired cops to attack crime. Now society has a cop problem.” quote by Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/tom-robbins-169_cop_society-had-a-crime-problem-it-hired-cop_2842234.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/tom-robbins-169_cop_society-had-a-crime-problem-it-hired-cop_2842234.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a8/tom-robbins-169_cop_society-had-a-crime-problem-it-hired-cop_2842234.jpg) > “Society had a crime problem. It hired cops to attack crime. Now society has a cop problem.” [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society’s solution to crime—more police—created a new problem of excessive policing. **In simple terms:** More police = new issues. Key Takeaway Reevaluate crime‑prevention strategies. Themes society crime law enforcement Mood satirical thought‑provoking Type literary social When to use this quote - urban planning - community safety - political reform - public opinion Key Concepts policy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to policing? - How to balance safety and freedom? A Different Perspective Oversimplification of solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop/) [Cop Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop-problem-3733039/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crime Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-problem-637909/) [Crime Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-society-1312829/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Society Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-cop-3733038/) [Society Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-crime-637910/) ## Related quotes > [The media insist that crime is the major concern of the American public today. In this connection they generally push the point that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-media-insist-that-crime-is-the-major-concern-of-the-american/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [It is absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt that more firearms in a society actually cuts the amount of crime in that same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-shea/it-is-absolutely-beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt-that-more-firearms-in-a/) [Matt Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-shea/) > [When there is crime in society, there is no justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/when-there-is-crime-in-society-there-is-no-justice/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [This could never be a crime in any society which deems himself enlightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/this-could-never-be-a-crime-in-any-society-which-deems-himself/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [Any society where it's a crime or a hassle to be different is a society based on psychological fascism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/any-society-where-it-s-a-crime-or-a-hassle-to-be-different-is-a/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [The judge said I was a menace to society because I had put crime on a scientific basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/the-judge-said-i-was-a-menace-to-society-because-i-had-put-crime-on-a/) [Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/) > [Today the crime novelist has one advantage denied to writers of 'straight' or 'literary' novels. Unlike them he can range over all levels of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-massie/today-the-crime-novelist-has-one-advantage-denied-to-writers-of/) [Allan Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-massie/) > [We don't have a crime problem, a gun problem or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem. And since we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/we-don-t-have-a-crime-problem-a-gun-problem-or-even-a-violence/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [“HOMELESSNESS...is neither a disease nor crime...but a very serious problem!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/homelessness-is-neither-a-disease-nor-crime-but-a-very-serious-problem/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [I think it's too bad that everybody's decided to turn on drugs, I don't think drugs are the problem. Crime is the problem. 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The other day the Statue of Liberty had both hands up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-crime-problem-in-new-york-is-getting-really-serious-the-other-day/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [We have a problem with drugs? Let's declare war on drugs! We have a problem with crime? Let's declare war on crime! We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/we-have-a-problem-with-drugs-let-s-declare-war-on-drugs-we-have-a/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [We will never build enough prisons to end our crime problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-will-never-build-enough-prisons-to-end-our-crime-problem/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Tom Robbins > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. 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