What are the key factors in this natural history of citizen anti-crime actions? Drawing on interviews of patrol leaders and members, participant observation, an analysis of campus newspaper stories, and responses to open-ended survey items, this paper tries to answer this question by examining a student patrol at Drake University. The research reveals that the campus crime 'problem' was largely the product of student newspaper emphasis, the patrol was able to function because the university provided the necessary resources, and participants joined for a variety of motives. The patrol eventually declined however, because the student newspaper no longer emphasized the crime problem; student participation decreased because of the monotony associated with surveillance and the existence of organizational problems, especially the lack of strong leadership. (Publisher abstract)