Why Not Tell People Not To Be Criminals?

I've become increasingly wound up in the past few days by the amount of crime-prevention warnings around. On a bus stop poster near my office are about three or four threats of your house being burgled if you don't lock up, hide your presents, throw empty boxes away immediately, buy Christmas presents. We're told not to talk on our mobile phones in the street, listen to MP3 players or drink more than a small sherry for fear of being mugged. Catholic churches are even moving midnight mass for fear of them being upset by drunks.

I'm all for protecting yourself and your property and it's right that people should be reminded of their responsibilities. But why don't these posters say things like "If you break into someone's house you'll be jailed you little shit" or "A short skirt doesn't mean you can be all rapey" or "Get a job and buy your own MP3 player"?

A huge amount of money is spent on these crime prevention advertising campaigns.

Here's another way to use the money - more police and longer prison sentences.