Citizen Participation in Neighborhood Crime Prevention

The importance of citizen involvement in crime prevention was stressed throughut the 1970s and, with looming service cutbacks, grows in potential importance for the coming decades. While many programs have been developed to encourage the public to get involved, especially in community‐based crime prevention efforts, not much was known about the underlying motivational dynamics. On the basis of a random‐digit‐dial telephone survey of 1803 residents in an entire metropolitan area, we conclude that most citizens become involved in neighborhood anticrime activities not because of fear of crime, but rather as an extension of their general tendency for community‐based voluntary action.