ocr: Crime rates in Germany are lower than 111 most other European countries. This is largely the result ofa genuine respect for the law, coupled with a strong police force. Recently, however, rising unemployment has ledtoani increase in petty theft and a wave of violence, notably against immigrants. German politics, once with an enviably clean reputation, have sufferedseveral corruption scandals. Civil service corruption remais rare. People convicted under environmental laws will face ten-year jail sentences.
