Qualitative case study method is used to study a typical high-rise residential neighborhood between urban and rural area of a large city in the south of Jiangsu Province. The analysis of crime data provided by the government shows that the crime distribution has obvious spatial clusters. Then, based on the CPTED theory framework, the environmental characteristics of the crime hotspots are analyzed. Combining interviews with residents, managers and other subjects, factors affecting theft crime are explored. The findings show that the hotspots of crime are characterized by lack of territoriality, surveillance, access control, environmental maintenance, target hardening and low level of activity. Insufficient consideration of crime prevention during environmental design and lack of environmental protection and management provide the possible conditions for criminal behavior. The divergences between residents’ cognition of environmental safety and actual crime location, as well?as?the?game?of?interest?among?different?subjects?in?the?neighborhood,?make?it?difficult?for the environment reform to prevent crime. Finally, optimizing suggestions on crime prevention in neighborhoods are put forward, and its universal adaptability is discussed.