Environmental design

• Environmental design

  • by influencing potential offenders EG presenting them with opportunities to commit crime
  • by affecting people's ability to exercise control over the surroundings
• Environmental design

  They argue that agencies such as architects, builders, town planners and local councils can design crime out by changing the physical layout of an area
• Crime preventation through environmental design (CPTED)

  Ray Jeffery was an American criminologist who introduced the CPTED approach and argued that the built environment can either create or deny opportunities to criminals.

  Also difficult for anyone to see what is happening in such a stairwell. EG Damilola Taylor got killed on a stairway
• CPTED in the UK

  • Alice Coleman adopted a similar approach
  • Analysed 4,099 blocks of flats in two London boroughts
  • Concluded that poor design of many blocks produced higher rates of crime and anti - social behaviour
• CPTED in the UK

  Found three design features encourages crime:

  • Anonymity
  • Lack of surveillance
  • Easy escape
• CPTED in the UK

  Recommendations included

  1. No more blocks of flats should be built
  2. Each existing block should have its own garden or private space, so residents would look after it
  3. Overhead walkways should be removed because they obstruct surveillance
• CPTED in the UK

  Examples of Coleman's theory in practice

  1. Lisson Green estate in West London, removal of overhead walkways led to a 50% reduction in crime
  2. Some police forces how employ architectural liasion officers to build in crime preventation features at the design stage for new buidlings
  3. 'Secured by design' (SBD) Kitemark scheme used by the building industry indicates that a new building meets crime preventation standards
  4. Home Office research found a 30% lower burglary rate in SBD houses
• CPTED: Gated Lanes

  Lockable gates installed to prevent offenders gaining access to alleyways, such as those at the rear of many older terraced houses
• CPTED: Gated lanes

  Mainly used to prevent burglaries but may also stop fly - tipping, anti - social behaviour by youths congregating, dog fouling
• Sidebottom el at (2018)

  Research found that gated alleys are associated with modest but significant reductions in burglary

  • Physical barrier - Increases effort required to commit a crime
  • Reduce the rewards of crime - Different to steal large objects if the offender has to climb over tall gates
  • Residents - Responsibility for closing the gates increases guardianship and surveillance
• Limitation of Gated Lanes

  • Don't work against criminals who live within the gated area
  • Areas where neighbours don't know or don't trust each other, residents may be less likely to install gates, or may not take responsibility for them
• Limitation of Gated Lanes

  • May be different installing gates if the alley is a public right of way, or if it has several owners all of whom will need to agree
  • Gated Lanes can restrict access for emergency services and refuse collectors which can be a problem
• CPTED has links with right realist theories and ideas:

  • Situational crime prevention (SCP) - Involves 'target hardening' by changing the physical environment to make it harder to commit crime
  • EG: New York port authority Bus Terminal, Felson 2002
• CPTED has links with right realist theories and ideas:

  • Felson's routine activity routine - Emphasises the importance of a 'capable guardian'. Protecting potential crime targets. CPTED, mutual surveillance by neighbours acts as a guardian
  • Rational choice theory - CPTED sees offenders acting rationally. EG If intruders fear they will be challenged by residents, they will be more likely to stay away from the area
• CPTED has links with right realist theories and ideas:

  • Situational crime prevention (SCP)
  • Felson's routine activity routine
  • Rational choice theory