PERSONAL VICTIMIZATION OF RESIDENTS AGED 12 AND OVER WAS MEASURED BY THE CRIMES OF RAPE, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND PERSONAL LARCENY; VICTIMIZATION OF HOUSEHOLDS COVERED THE CRIMES OF BURGLARY, HOUSEHOLD LARCENY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT; AND COMMERCIAL VICTIMIZATION INCLUDED THE CRIMES OF BURGLARY AND ROBBERY. THE COMPTON SURVEY WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF COMMON CRIME PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS IN THAT CITY. CONDUCTED DURING THE LAST QUARTER OF 1974 AND COVERING THE 12-MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEWS, THE SURVEY OBTAINED INTERVIEWS IN APPROXIMATE 6,300 HOUSEHOLDS (SOME 15,800 RESIDENTS AGED 12 AND OVER) AND IN ALL OF THE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS (ABOUT 1,700). SURVEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PERSONAL VICTIMIZATIONS WERE ABOUT EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN CRIMES OF VIOLENCE (ASSAULT, ROBBERY, AND RAPE) AND CRIMES OF THEFT (PERSONAL LARCENY WITHOUT CONTACT, PURSE SNATCHING, AND POCKET PICKING). HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATIONS MOST OFTEN INVOLVED BURGLARY (57 PERCENT), WHILE 30 PERCENT INVOLVED HOUSEHOLD LARCENY AND 12 PERCENT WERE ATTEMPTED OR COMPLETED AUTOMOBILE THEFT. FINDINGS ON BUSINESS VICTIMIZATION SHOW THAT 80 PERCENT OF THESE CRIMES WERE EITHER ATTEMPTED OR COMPLETED BURGLARIES AND 20 PERCENT WERE COMPLETED OR ATTEMPTED ROBBERIES. THE VICTIMIZATION RATE FOR BURGLARY WAS 748 PER 1,000 ESTABLISHMENTS AND 186 PER 1,000 FOR ROBBERY. THE REPORT PROVIDES DETAILED DATA ON VICTIM CHARACTERISTICS, CRIME CHARACTERISTICS, REPORTING OF CRIMES TO POLICE, PHYSICAL INJURIES INCURRED, ECONOMIC LOSSES, USE OF WEAPONS, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFENDERS. FOOTNOTES, A GLOSSARY, AND NUMEROUS TABLES ARE INCLUDED. MATERIAL ON THE SAMPLE DESIGN, ESTIMATION PROCEDURE, RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES, AND ILLUSTRATIONS ON THE USE OF THE STANDARD ERROR TABLES IS APPENDED. (PRG)