This paper begins by outlining and critiquing what we term the dominant anglophone model of neo-liberal community safety and crime prevention. As an alternative to this influential but flawed model, a comparative analysis is provided of the different constitutional-legal settlements in each of the five jurisdictions across the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI), and their uneven institutionalization of community safety. In the light of this it is argued that the nature of the

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Property and violent crime against older people in rural areas have become recurring themes in media representations of rural Ireland. This is also marked in the closure of rural police stations which might exacerbate the sense of abandonment amongst rural dwellers, hence, feeding a greater fear of crime. Top down crime-talk has stressed the need for 'smart policing' and state-led strategies have involved short, intensive policing operations to halt the mobility of urban based burglars; and a growing number of communities engaged in Community Alert Schemes and Text Alert Schemes. In this article, we report preliminary findings of our research conducted in a small rural town and the surrounding community in SouthEast Ireland. The research sought to capture crime-talk in a rural locale to reflect upon broader themes and identify issues for our ongoing research agenda. Data were obtained through a small number of in-depth semistructured interviews with members of the community. Our observations centre on the nature of adaptation to a felt sense of risk, fear and insecurity.

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