[R] another index question

[Bob Green]

I am hoping for some advice regarding another index problem. The code 
below is intended to assign a value of 'V' if values on certain 
variables are >= 1, assign a value of 'N' if values on certain 
variables are >= 1  on other variables and assign a 'O' if values on 
any variable which have a value <= 0.

The outcome of this code is to assign a single 'O'. Clearly I have 
made a mistake somewhere.

pre_  <- new <- rep(0, nrow(reoffend))
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre01111 | reoffend$pre012 | 
reoffend$pre013>= 1] <-'V'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre02111>=1 | reoffend$pre02114>=1 | 
reoffend$pre2029>=1 | reoffend$pre0212>=1 | reoffend$pre0211>=1]<- 'V'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre03a >=1 | reoffend$pre0311 >=1 | 
reoffend$pre0312 >=1| reoffend$pre03 >= 1] <- 'V'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre04>=1 | reoffend$pre05 >=1 | 
reoffend$pre06 >=1] <- 'V'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre07 >=1 | reoffend$pre08 >=1 | 
reoffend$pre09 >=1| reoffend$pre10 >= 1 |reoffend$pre11 >=1 | 
reoffend$pre12 >=1 | reoffend$pre13 >=1| reoffend$pre14 >= 1 
|reoffend$pre15 >=1| reoffend$pre16 >= 1 ] <- 'N'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre01111 | reoffend$pre012 | reoffend$pre013<=0] <-'O'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre02111<=0 | reoffend$pre02114<=0 | 
reoffend$pre2029<=0 | reoffend$pre0212<=0 | reoffend$pre0211 <=0] <-'O'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre03a | reoffend$pre0311 | reoffend$pre0312 
| reoffend$pre03<=0] <- 'O'
 > pre_  <- new[reoffend$pre04 | reoffend$pre05 | reoffend$pre06<=0] <- 'O'
 > pre_ <- new[reoffend$pre07| reoffend$pre08 | reoffend$pre09 | 
reoffend$pre10 |reoffend$pre11 | reoffend$pre12 | reoffend$pre13 | 
reoffend$pre14 |reoffend$pre15 | reoffend$pre16<= 0 ] <- 'O'
 >

Secondly, once this is resolved I was hoping to change the prefix 
"pre_)" to "mhc_", repeat this code and join the pre_ and mhc_ 
variables - so the new variable would have values such as 'VO" or 
'NV' etc. I was hoping something like :  total <- c(pre_ , mhc_) 
would do this or am I misguided.

Any assistance is much appreciated,

Bob Green