AS PART OF A MULTIFACETED ATTACK ON CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY IN NEW YORK CITY, SCAN IS ATTEMPTING TO DEMONSTRATE THAT CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME CAN BE REDUCED THROUGH THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF CITIZENS OF ALL AGES WITHIN URBAN COMMUNITIES. TWO TARGET AREAS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS WERE SELECTED AS ANTICRIME DEMONSTRATION SITES. ONE AREA, A 160-SQUARE BLOCK SECTION OF FLATBUSH, HAS UNDERGONE GREAT SOCIAL CHANGE AND IS POPULATED BY MEN AND WOMEN WITH WIDELY DIVERGENT INCOMES AND LIFESTYLES. THE OTHER AREA, A 150-SQUARE BLOCK SECTION OF LONG ISLAND CITY, IS RELATIVELY STABLE, ALTHOUGH ITS ETHNICALLY AND RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION IS EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN VICTIMIZATIONS. SCAN'S COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS SET UP INEXPENSIVE STREET-LEVEL OFFICES IN BOTH AREAS AND HIRED A STAFF OF PART-TIME COMMUNITY AIDES. UTILIZING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT METHODS OF ORGANIZATION, THEY BEGAN THE UPHILL TASK OF MOBILIZING GROUPS WITHIN THE TARGET AREAS IN ANTICRIME ACTIVITIES. UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT METHOD, THE ORGANIZERS' ROLE INVOLVES FOSTERING A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY'S UNIQUE POPULATION. TO THIS END, SMALL TASK-ORIENTED GROUPS ARE CREATED AND THE ORGANIZERS' SUPPLY THEM WITH THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO PLAN SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY PROBLEMS. THE ORGANIZERS HELP MEMBERS TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH ONE ANOTHER, MAKE THEM FOCUS ON PRIMARY GOALS, IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THIS FOCUS, AND TEACH GROUPS HOW TO IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES TO ATTACK AND SOLVE THE COMMUNITY'S PROBLEMS. SCAN'S NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES ARE ROOTED IN THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE ELDERLY ARE ABLE TO CARRY OUT NEIGHBORHOOD ANTICRIME INITIATIVES. IN THE TWO TARGET AREAS, THE ORGANIZERS FIRST IDENTIFIED THE MAJOR COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTING ALL AGE GROUPS IN THE AREAS, AND AFTER MEETING WITH THE LEADERS, MARSHALLED THEM INTO TASK FORCES DESIGNED TO DETER CRIME. THE TASK FORCES USE A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES TO COMBAT CRIME, INCLUDING RESIDENT PATROLS, PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS INVOLVING YOUNGER VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN SUPPORT OF THEIR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS. (KBL)