New York City Seeks Safer Streets Mayor Dinkins Wants More Police on Neighborhood Beats, and Citizens Volunteer for Patrols. BATTLING URBAN CRIME

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WHENEVER New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams extolled the virtues of freedom and democracy while visiting the Soviet Union in recent years, he would always get questions about urban fear of crime. "The Soviets would say, `But aren't many people prisoners of their apartments or communities?' " He says the question is becoming much more difficult to answer.

Those listening to his words - several hundred Manhattan residents gathered on 47th Street in the shadow of the United Nations for one of the city's several rallies at the Aug. 7 National Night Out Against Crime - understood perfectly.

A recent surge in random gun violence in New York City that …