ndbiker, I live in a very walkable area; score of 86. The thing about crime is, if you're out walking, doing business, visiting friends on their front porches, etc, you're (in a sense taking) back the streets. Your presence as a citizen negates the bad guys, to a degree. Does that make sense? If a critical mass of like-minded citizens are out and about using their own neighborhoods, patronizing the sidewalk cafes, buying from local shops, you and other law-abiders are owning your streets. And you're showing others that by being out there and visible is the best way to do it, rather than being huddled around the blue light of the television indoors, watching CSI.
/side rant/
When the husband-unit and I take walks in the neighborhood, and we see tellys blaring in livingrooms, we yell "turn that damn thing off!"