Sheriffs and other rural police administrators have responded to the increase in rural crime and the limits on resources by making changes to improve efficiency, enhance response time, and improve patrol coverage. However, these reactive approaches are insufficient. Police agencies need to return to fundamental, traditional approaches to the police role in crime control. They should also emphasize direct or operant crime prevention rather than curative programs. Direct crime prevention focuses on reducing the opportunity for crime through target hardening. It emphasizes mechanical, instrumental, or behavioral victim avoidance processes requiring the victim's assumption of responsibility and participation. Police organizations should formally place prevention on a par with interception and followup investigation. Agencies also need a capacity for crime analysis. Other needs are a supportive communications resource, support for the idea of prevention, budgetary support, and training. Rural police agencies also need to work closely with community organizations and the media to disseminate information on prevention. Prevention activities can include proven strategies like Neighborhood Watch and Operation Identification. Farm Bureau, local cooperatives, and other organizations centering on the rural environment, as well as land-grant universities with farm extension programs, constitute real resources to the police in this effort. Eleven references are listed.