I didn't notice a big drop in crime around here when anyone who showed up at a job site could work, for pretty good pay. There were still guys sitting on the curb in front of my wife's place with "will work for food" signs but you couldn't actually get them to come and do some work.
The problem is bums are bums, thieves are thieves. I spent a good part of my life is SE DC (Anacostia). I have been around my share of poor people and we didn't have much money ourselves but my family worked, we didn't steal. We finally got out of there but it was from my parents saving and working hard to get us out.
