Fear of crime is inversely related to crime itself due to vicarious experience and media contagion. The third social problem is disorder. An example of what not to do would be contests on who has the loudest sound system in their vehicles, and police departments ought to work with audio system installers in curtailing these kinds of promotions. The fourth social problem is decay. These have usually been handled by lighting, phone boxes, or surveillance equipment, but community policing addresses it by organizing and coordinating citizen clean-up efforts, much like National Night Out programs.
Graffiti removal is one of the hallmarks of community policing.
The fifth and final social problem is quality of life, a sociological term meaning pride, loyalty, and stewardship in one's community. If a person thinks that their children are growing up in a valuable, growing community, and would live here all over again given the chance, that person, for example, expresses a quality of life. Fear, disorder, decay, and quality of life make up the four underlying social problems that are the breeding ground for crime. Community policing deals with these directly or indirectly.