Cause and Effect and Correlation

In the United States, low income areas seem to have more crime and also more liquor stores than more prosperous areas. Does the increased number lliquor stores cause crime? A study from Southern California states: "Each liquor store contributed an average of 3.4 violent crimes a year (Time, May 1, 1995, pp. B1 and B3.) Do you think that the abundance of liquor stores in low income neighborhoods might be the cause of the higher crime? In higher crime areas, there are usually more police; does that mean that police cause crime?

To determine a reliable correlation between the number of liquor stores and the number of crimes in low income neighborhooeds, what kind of experiment might you design? What kind of correlation number would make you feel fairly certain that there is a solid connection between larger numbers of liquor stores in low income neighborhooeds and resulting crime?

What do you think of drawing conclusions about cause and effect without solid evidence--ethical or unethical? Does a high correlation indicate a cause and effect relationship?