The reason why Atlantic City is crawling with crime is because of the casino industry. In 1979 New Jersey legalised public gambling, and it turned the declining economy of Atlantic City around. The city is rich from gambling revenues, but the glitz and glamour associated with the city has attracted quite a lot of crime. For a town of only 42,000 people, it's turning into a mini-Miami very quickly. Luckily, I'm on the island to the north of the city, where crime is almost non-existent because the town's crawling with police officers.