THE STUDY IS BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS TO REPORTED CRIMES IN EACH OF THE CENSUS TRACTS OF DAYTON, OHIO. THE TYPES OF CRIMES CONSIDERED WERE ASSAULT, ROBBERY, BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND AUTO THEFT. MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE NUMBER OF RENTAL DWELLINGS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO RATES OF ALL OF THE ABOVE CRIMES. FAMILY INCOME WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE RELATED TO CRIME RATES. EXPECTED REDUCTIONS IN CRIME RATES ARE ESTIMATED FOR SPECIFIED CHANGES IN THESE VARIABLES. THE NUMBER OF BLACK RESIDENTS WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE RELATED TO CRIME RATES, ALTHOUGH NO CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN. FEDERAL AID IS SUGGESTED AS ONE METHOD OF ALTERING VARIABLES RELATED TO CRIME RATES. THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH A DESCRIPTION OF FURTHER RESEARCH WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.