The traditional supportive roles of the family, the church, the school, and the local community are declining in importance as means of preventing and controlling crime in rural areas. A cooperative effort among these agencies to provide a support system for youth is needed for crime prevention programs to work effectively. Collective citizen involvement is therefore a necessity. Although law enforcement has long viewed community crime prevention programs as ineffective and unnecessary, law enforcement officials in recent years have recognized the necessity of involving citizens in their efforts. Police input and cooperation are crucial elements in the planning, development, and implementation of crime prevention programs by rural community organizations. A crime analysis would help law enforcement agencies, crime prevention practitioners, and citizen groups identify major crime problems and plan actions to deal with them. After developing a plan of action, a community should assess its crime prevention resources in terms of availability, location, and cost. It should also develop an organized program or support systems to encourage police/community relations, respond to citizen input, disseminate information, and motivate citizens for continuous action. In addition, community leaders need to follow up on program procedures and evaluate citizens' efforts. Six references are listed.