There are two ways to deal with crime: crime prevention or law enforcement. Law enforcement is too late. By that time the crime has had larger implications than the initial event. Imagine a person was robbed of money that was to pay for medication. Beyond taking people's money the criminals also steal people's trust and has ripples that can affect generations.
Crime prevention is the better option. If you cut at the roots of why crime happens it is possible to eradicate it. Non-drug related crimes have to do with economic forces as well as a lack of empathy that the criminals have for their victims. Economic forces have to be addressed at a societal level while emotional forces need to address when a person is young ... once again requiring something at the societal level.