Applying equally strict enforcement to minor or merely "technical" violations of law that hardly affect others might reduce the quality of life in society instead of improving it. For example, in many jurisdictions motor vehicle codes are classified as penal (rather than civil) infractions that are arrestable offenses under strict application of the state police power through authorized law enforcement functions. However, it is doubtful that (1) taking enforcement action against every perceptible violation of law or (2) implementing physical arrest wherever authorized is in the interest of the driving public or society. On the other hand, certain types of crimes (including some that fall within the purview of vehicular laws) require a zero-tolerance approach by virtue of their capacity to harm other individuals and society as a whole. Furthermore, practical considerations such as the availability...

In addition to prioritizing the types of crime considered most appropriate for prevention efforts, effective crime prevention requires appropriate allocation of manpower, resources, and funding to the various individual functions of deterrence, investigation, apprehension, prosecution, and corrections.
Absolute crime prevention is both undesirable and also absolutely impractical for many reasons. On the other hand, the appropriate application of government efforts to prevent crime in approximate relation to its actual and legitimate potential detriment to society is crucial to maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of the individual and of collective society.