THERE is no foreseeable reason why crime levels will drop in the future, says the director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the University of Pretoria, professor Mike Hough. Hough said according to political theory the basic function of the government was the protection of life and private property. “All other functions should be secondary.” He said some of the main causes of crime were poverty and greed. Other causes of crime included the malfunctioning of the criminal justice system, a moral collapse in the country, organised crime syndicates and no respect for law and order.