Environmental Crime Prevention (ECP)

• Environmental Crime Prevention (ECP)

  By fixing the environment, crime will decrease due to the respect for community and acceptable behaviour.

  1. Repair signs of environmental decline (broken windows, graffiti) immediately to avoid neighbourhood deterioration.
  2. Increase police presence through patrolling areas of social disorder and ensure all small signs of disorder are eliminated.
  3. All public housing buildings should not exceed 3 floors so police can access easily and they don't become crime havens.
• Wilson & Kelling (ECP) 


  Broken windows are signs that the community cares less so crime spirals out of control and police ignore it as they are more focused on serious crime.

  1. Fix broken windows: people conform to the norms of an area and the appearance of social order will lead to a decrease in crime.
  2. Zero tolerance (NYC) leads to decreased crime and residents feeling safer as it creates a different view of what is acceptable.
• ECP Criticism

  Left Realists argue that other factors, like a lack of investment, are more important in the decline of a neighbourhood. The rich live in 'paranoid fortresses' guarded by technology whilst the poor are left with further crime.