Violent crime has become an important issue in modern society. Community residents live in fear of victimization resulting from criminogenic social conditions, such as drug dependency and poverty, and uncertainty regarding adequate protection from potential harm. An examination of community perceptions of violent crime includes actual versus projected risks for victimization status; the outgrowth of community participation in sanctioned programs; the enactment of empowerment, advocacy, and social transformation resulting from emergent community attitudes; and the relationship between community attitudes and defined criminal justice responses.