Perceptions of the local danger posed by crime: Race, disorder, informal control, and the police

► An explanation for how people make judgments about the safety of neighborhoods. ► Confidence in the police and in one's neighbors reduces perceptions of danger. ► Perceptions rather than the actual presence of disorder cause concern. ► Disorder heightens concerns most when confidence in police and neighbors is low. ► The race context matters indirectly through perceptions of disorder and control.