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Introduction
Reducing and controlling fear of crime have long been important public policy concerns for police departments. Research has shown that decreasing fear of crime is an important police task (Vrij and Winkel, 1991; Scheider et al , 2003; Cordner, 2010). Both government and police agencies have launched attempts to reduce the public's fear of crime. Police services have created numerous educational programs to inform citizens of risks and plausible protective behaviors to minimize victimization risks. Programs to address fear of crime include neighborhood watches, increased use of community policing and other measures (Hale, 1996; Scheider et al , 2003; Cordner, 2010).
Understanding the link between fear of crime and actual crime is an important part of efforts to combat fear of crime. This article is the result of a request from a local police department to assess what makes inhabitants of a medium-sized city fearful of crime to enable an appropriate police response to those particular fear 'factors' and to determine if fear of crime is influenced by actual crime occurring within the community. The research effort was guided by the following research questions: How fearful of crime are people in the city of interest? What are the most salient crime concerns in the community as a function of (a) demographic category, (b) prior victimization, (c) perceived risks of crimes they could experience, and (d) fear of crime versus actual crime committed in their neighborhoods? The authors believe the results from this study will aid law enforcement in a more guided response to citizens' particular concerns, and background influencing those concerns, about crime and disorder in their communities.
Review of Literature
Fear of crime background and research
Crime statistics in the United States have consistently suggested that levels of reported crime have declined since the 1990s, while fear of crime levels have remained steady (FBI Uniform Crime Report, 2010). It is likely that this fear of crime paradox is because of the fact that people's experiences with crime are not fully recorded anywhere other than in fear of crime data. Therefore, fear of crime and perceptions of crime remain important topics of inquiry, especially for police departments seeking to effectively serve their citizens.
People respond to crime in different ways. Some may avoid...