A nonrandom sample of 343 black inner city residents from a southern city who were 60 years of age or older were interviewed in order to identify specific characteristics of black elderly victims that make them susceptible to criminal victimization. Of the 343 participants, 245 were women, and 71 percent of the individuals lived in public housing. Data revealed that 7 percent had been criminally victimized at least once since their 60th birthday. A total of 86 percent of these victims had suffered property loss resulting from burglaries, robbery, and fraud. Moreover, the data revealed that the black elderly victims of crime are likely to be males rather than females, 'young-old' rather than 'old-old' (80 and over), residents in public rather than private housing facilities, and living alone or with one other person. Responses to questions revealed that fear of crime is an integral part of the lives of black elderly individuals. Policy recommendations focus on providing housing for the elderly in areas other than those adjacent to public housing, instituting Neighborhood Watch programs, informing community residents of their roles in fighting crime, and creating specialized victim compensation programs to meet the specific needs of elderly victims. Data tables and 11 footnotes are supplied.