Explaining the relationship between neighborhood disorder and crime fear: The perceptual role of neighbors and the police

Purpose: This study theoretically expands previous research that examined what drives the connection between disorder and fear of crime by assessing the extent to which peoples' perceptions of social processes and control efforts by their neighbors and the police mediate the disorder-fear relationship. Method: We analyze data from a mail survey of a random sample of citizens in a mid-sized southeastern city in the United States (N = 1681) by employing structural equation modeling techniques to explain the indirect relationship between disorder and fear of crime. Results: Perceived neighborhood disorder was directly associated with perceived safety. Disorder was indirectly associated with safety concerns through its influence on perceptions of social cohesion, police legitimacy, and police performance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that perceptions of ongoing local social processes by neighbors and the police are fundamental to understanding why disorder is associated with fear of crime.