THE DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM OLDER PERSONS LIVING IN NONPUBLIC HOUSING IN THREE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - A CENTRAL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD, AN URBAN MUNICIPALITY, AND A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. THE FINDINGS EMPHASIZE THAT FEARFUL ENVIRONMENTS RELATED TO POSSIBLE CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION DIFFER AMONG ELDERLY ACCORDING TO THEIR LIVING CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY A FUNCTION OF DISSIMILARITIES IN SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS AND RESOURCES. INTERVIEW RESPONSES INDICATED THAT CENTER CITY ELDERLY HAVE FEWER SOCIOECONOMIC RESOURCES, A PERCEPTION OF A MORE CRIMINAL ENVIRONMENT, A GREATER FEAR OF CRIME, TAKES MORE PRECAUTIONS FOR SECURITY, AND CAN COUNT LESS ON NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT FOR SECURITY AND PROTECTION. THE RETIREMENT GROUP HAS THE GREATEST RESOURCES. A PERCEPTION OF NONCRIMINAL ENVIRONMENT, THE LOWEST FEAR OF CRIME, TAKES THE FEWEST SECURITY MEASURES, AND HAS THE GREATEST SENSE OF COMMUNAL SUPPORT, A DISCUSSION OF THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOCUSES ON AN ANALYSIS OF A PROPOSED SAFE NICHE IN A FEARFUL ENVIRONMENT. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...ELW