The community will respond to police department overtures if they are supported by behavior, attending meetings, participating in school programs, giving advice on Neighborhood Watch, housing project tenant patrols, and so forth. Rural officers need to be paid competitively and receive good training. Response times can be reduced, especially with the establishment of satellite stations. Project a little bit into the future so that the force grows with the population. Cooperation with other law enforcement agencies is essential.
Hot spots can be times and events as well as physical locations.
Use visibility and saturation help to cool off hot spots. Don't think that rural America won't be touched by serious crime, it is just less frequent.