And while the city recorded last month itslowest crime rate in a decade, the number ofarrests has been rising in Area Four. Arrests forstreet robberies rose from 48 to 65 and for autothefts from 80 to 108 between 1993 and 1994,according to Cambridge Police crime analyst NettaE. Finch.

"When you see a high level of poverty youusually find a high level of deviant behavior,"says School Committee member E. Denise Simmons,who grew up in Area Four. "I don't think Area Fourcorners the drug market, but it has more than itsfair share of unemployed youth who are going tomake money somehow.

Foxx says neighborhood crime is a recurringissue. "The drug problem in Cambridge tends to bein specific areas of the city," he says. "Whenyou suppress it in one area. it rises in another.It's an evasive problem."

But Simmons notes the majority of kids arelooking for a better life.

"You really need to walk through Area Four tosee the other side of Area Four, the kids that dogo to school," she adds.

And perceptions of safety may be changing too,residents say.

"Three years ago, most of the people Iencountered were afraid to come here after dark,"Nze says. "I don't sense ready fear anymore."

"Because we have crime in our neighborhoods,that's all you heard about Area Four," Simmonsadds. "They're poor about the amount of money thatcomes into their families, but they're rich inethnic pride, they're rich in their families."

A Cultural Mix

Area Four is the most diverse of the City's 13neighborhoods. According to the U.S. Census, 60percent of its residents are minority, 19 percentare Hispanic and more than a third are Black.

Racial tensions once existed among neighborhoodteenagers but have largely subsided, says PatSayers, co-chair of the Area Four Crime TaskForce.

"When there was a problem, it was more aproblem over turf issues than disliking anyone'sethnic backgrounds," she says. "As for adults, Ican't say I've heard of any racial incidentanywhere.

While they laud Area Four's tranquil relations,some residents say a class disparity maycorrespond to race.

"A lot of the new immigrants, particularly theHaitians, have to work and they can't spend thetime that the middle-class people spend at theschools, keeping the teachers accountable," Foxxsays. "The squeaky oil gets the grease."

Although relations are friendly, residents saysome degree of self-segregation exists. Culturaldifferences and language barriers can sometimeshamper social interaction, they add.