<p>This study investigates whether police interventions designed to reduce fear of crime have consistent effects across different neighborhood contexts, focusing on the mediating role of perceived disorder and the moderating influence of social cohesion. Utilizing quasi-experimental survey data from a 2018 nationwide initiative by the Korean National Police Agency, 82 neighborhoods were classified into two groups based on whether generalized fear of crime increased or decreased after the intervention. Structural equation modeling revealed that in neighborhoods where fear decreased, collective efficacy had both direct and indirect negative effects on fear of crime, with disorder serving as a key mediator. In contrast, in neighborhoods with increased fear, collective efficacy components showed divergent effects - social cohesion and informal social control affected fear in opposite directions - and disorder did not function as a significant mediator. Across both groups, perceived disorder remained the strongest predictor of fear. These results highlight the complex and uneven impacts of standardized police interventions, suggesting that local social dynamics strongly shape public perceptions of safety. Notably, in East Asian urban contexts such as South Korea, where informal social control and hierarchical norms are culturally embedded, the effects of collective efficacy may deviate from conventional Western models. From a theoretical standpoint, the study contributes to international criminological discourse by illustrating how cultural and contextual factors mediate the relationship between formal policing and informal community mechanisms. Policy-wise, it underscores the importance of adaptive, community-informed policing strategies that address both perceived disorder and the sociocultural foundations of fear in diverse neighborhoods.</p>