From patience to problems: the Czech experience on the transition

This chapter describes the recent development of the fear of crime as surveyed in the Czech Republic. The dynamics of fear and concerns are increasing now. During the period of economic crisis, some concerns should have increased, but there is a new subject of concerns, maybe even a new scapegoat: corruption. This text examines the processes of the still continuing fear reduction and the influence of both the victimization and the local conditions on the fear of crime. The second part demonstrates both an extreme rise in the concern about corruption and the element of bribery in everyday practices as well. The transition to democracy in the Czech Republic after 1989 offered a picture of a “patient” society accepting necessary social costs of the change. The conclusion on a “risk normalization” covers two features: the patient reaction of people to the increase of crime rates after 1989 and the increasing differentiation of attitudes according to the local aspects (represented by city size).