Orange County Voices : COMMENTARY ON ORANGE COUNTY’S FUTURE : Rebuilding Economy, Restoring Public Safety Are Key Goals : Cooperation among residents, business groups and government and law enforcement agencies is needed to help solve and lessen fears about our current troubles.

Orange County, like the rest of Southern California, is in the midst of the most challenging time in its modern history.

After a year that saw crime rising to the forefront of residents’ concerns, and no relief in sight for a distressed local economy, the county is facing growing fears as we enter 1994. The 1993 Orange County Annual Survey of 1,000 residents found several key trends that will be felt in the year ahead:

* Half of the residents are now mentioning crime (29%) and jobs and the economy (20%) as Orange County’s most important problems. Concerns about crime have nearly doubled since 1986, while the economy has become the chronic worry of the 1990s.

* One in three residents say they are afraid of walking in their neighborhood at night, significantly more than a decade ago. Nearly half say they believe the crime rate in their neighborhood is on the rise. Crime fears are most acute among lower-income residents, but are having an impact today on all economic groups and regions of the county.

* One in three residents say they worry that they or someone in their family will lose their job in the next year. Pessimism about the local economy continues, and most expect bad economic times in the nation next year and even throughout the next five years.

Why have people become so fearful?

While violent crimes and joblessness are very real problems today, residents’ concerns in these areas surpass the actual rates. What people are really expressing with their high levels of anxiety is fear of change.

The county is reeling from the effects of many economic changes taking place at once. Corporate downsizing, reductions in defense spending, real estate woes, the closing of military bases and the restructuring of the economy have undermined consumer confidence.

So far, the Orange County that prospered so much during the Cold War appears to be foundering in its aftermath.

Meanwhile, the past few years have seen spreading gang activities, making residents nervous about the safety of local streets, beaches, parks and schools. And after being alerted to crime and safety threats by the Los Angeles riots in the spring of 1992, residents got a powerful reminder about their vulnerability to criminal acts by the arson fire that ravaged Laguna Beach last fall.

Finally, as the county becomes more urban and diverse, many residents are wondering how much they can trust strangers, and even their new neighbors.

But all is not gloomy in 1994.

If we take a look at the problems that plagued the county in the 1980s, there are visible signs of progress. Here are some of the positive trends that are likely to carry through this year:

* Transportation woes are easing. Compared to the late 1980s, traffic is less of a problem for commuters today, and fewer think congestion is getting worse. Also, the number of employed residents who drive alone to work has declined.

* Rapid population growth is no longer troubling residents. Fewer than half now complain about local growth or say the growth control regulations in their communities are not strict enough. * Housing costs have stabilized. After rapid escalation in the 1980s, there has been little change in housing costs so far this decade. Most homeowners and renters still consider buying a home in Orange County to be an excellent or good investment. These trends help the county remain an attractive location for industry and residents.

* Fears of environmental problems are declining. While people continue to care greatly about protecting the environment, they feel the threat to their personal health and well-being is less serious today. Residents have been reassured by recent improvements in air quality.

* Charitable giving is on the rebound. A surge in donations this past year, especially evident among the most affluent residents, may signal a growing recognition of local problems and a willingness to help.

* There have been no swings to political extremes. County voters have remained moderate to somewhat conservative, and few are found at either end of the political spectrum.

This profile indicates that voters will respond to problem-solving and performance, rather than ideology and party allegiance, in 1994.

Knowing that some of yesterday’s problems are being solved should help lessen residents’ fears about our current troubles.

But confidence can only be restored by devising a positive plan for rebuilding the local economy.

Local business organizations, colleges and universities, charities, new immigrant groups and elected officials must take part in the rebuilding process. And the various branches of local government and localities must learn to cooperate in working toward this goal, or residents and businesses will give up and seek more encouraging conditions elsewhere.

Cooperation will also be needed to ease fears about public safety.

It is not enough to treat certain parts of the county as dangerous and to be avoided, while other areas are considered “havens.”

Crime and gangs are highly mobile today, and in a compact county such as ours, any area is a potential trouble spot.

Restoring residents’ sense of safety will take coordination among law enforcement, social service agencies, public education and neighborhood groups, and will require cooperation across city, and perhaps even county, boundaries.