The 12-question survey was mailed to approximately 1,000 residents in each target community. Telephone calls supplemented the questionnaire. The questions asked residents whether they, or a family member, had been threatened or harassed by a gang member, if they had been a victim of a gang-related crime, how often they observed gang- or drug-related activity in their community, whether they thought local businesses and law enforcement were dealing effectively with gang-related crime, and whether they thought the criminal justice system was effective in stopping gang activity. The survey results showed wide disparities among residents of the different communities in terms of their own experiences and their perceptions of law enforcement efforts. A statistical analysis of the results showed that victimization experience, rather than demographic variables such as gender or marital status, was the best predictor of how respondents viewed the seriousness of the gang problem in their cities. 8 references and 6 appendixes