environmental tactics - CPTED Flashcards
(5 cards)
what is CPTED?
This theory, originating from criminologist C. Ray Jeffery, is known as the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Based on the simple idea that crime results partly from the opportunities presented by the physical environment.
Therefore, to reduce crime = change the immediate environment to reduce opportunities to commit crime.
what are the five principles of CPTED?
Physical security: the measures which are used on individual dwellings to ensure that they withstand attack.
Surveillance: design ensuring that residents are able to observe the areas surrounding their home. Surveillance can be facilitated by ensuring that front doors face onto the street; that areas are well illuminated and blank walls are avoided.
Movement control: the restriction of access, egress and through movement. High levels of through movement allow offenders to access and egress an area; permits identification of targets and increases anonymity.
Management and maintenance: the processes are in place to ensure that a development is free from signs of disorder. This signals that the area is cared for.
Defensible space: the ownership of space in a neighbourhood should be clearly defined. For example: public (e.g. pavement); semi-public (e.g. front garden); semi-private (e.g. rear garden) and private (e.g. inside the home).
what are the examples of CPTED?
Incidences of pick pocketing in Birmingham were increasing during the 1980’s.
The location of many of the incidents was Birmingham Bullring Market. The design of the market facilitated such thefts e.g. poor lighting and limited space between stalls which made such crimes go undetected.
Thefts were reduced considerable when new improved lighting was installed (to enhance natural surveillance) and widening of spaces between stalls ( reduce desenity).
Therefore increase visibility of potential offenders lead to increase in social control.
what are the strengths of CPTED?
Promotes a sense of ownership – functionalists would argue that positive boundary maintenance is achieved.
Brown and Altman found that physical modifications suggested resident care and watchfulness help promote safer residential settings
Research suggests that crime rates in cities with high-rise blocks are higher than those with low-level buildings.
In Ohio a CPTED partnership with police and residents resulted in a 12-13% decline in crime.
what are the weaknesses of CPTED?
Marxists would argue that CPTED principle focus on street crime thus further demonising the WC
CPTED principle suggest that crime operates in hidden places, yet this is not always true, for example, graffiti often takes place in very visible locations.
Perhaps crime is simply being displaced to another area than prevented, for example in New York when police increased subway-surveillance, other crimes like bus robberies rose.
CPTED is mostly achievable with new developments/construction and is difficult/costly to achieve in existing areas
