CPTED

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Running head: CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

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CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED

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Abstract

Crime prevention could start from the design stage of a building or property. All it requires is understanding of the criminal behavior and anticipating that someone might want to trespass on some property or someone may want to cause damage to property or steal it, or cause some security issues. And that is where crime prevention through environmental design comes in. Basically, CPTED is a set of principles of design aimed at preventing crime even when a building or some other property has not been built. In fact, CPTED can use architectural methods, electronic methods, and or organizational methods. Since principles of CPTED are employed at the design stage of a building, tenants and employees would both develop the feeling of safety and welcome whenever they realize that the design of the building they are in has been done using CPTED principles. Even with the these principles at in place, it is not always assumed that crime cannot happen in any such setting. That is why individuals are always urged to be on the lookout for any signs of criminal behavior or crime so ensure their safety.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED

This is a case study regarding the crime prevention through environmental design, CPTED. This study will address the cautions of CPTED followed closely by recent projects, and concludes with future projects. That said this study progresses as follows.

Before proceeding any further, it is important to put into perspective the concept of CPTED. Basically, CPTED is a set of principles of design employed by crime fighters to prevent occurrence of crime. For instance, in as much as property and buildings are designed to prevent damage from forces of nature, they are also built with security features aimed at preventing crime. The principles of CPTED provides that designers have to anticipate the thought process of criminals so that they could create an environment that discourages criminal behavior while at the same time helping the honest citizens to watch out for any such criminal behavior. In other words, CPTED employs the principles of territorial enforcement, natural surveillance, maintenance, natural access control, and hardening the target. The use of these principles explains why both employees and tenants feel a sense of security in particular buildings.

Having put the concept of CPTED into perspective, it is now time to address its cautions. One of the cautions is that not every system used is full proof. For example, alarm systems may malfunction, disconnected, or intentionally damaged by individuals with criminal behavior so as to create a loophole for criminal activity. Some of these security situations may happen during routine maintenance.

Having addressed the cautions of CPTED, it is now time to address the recent projects in this area of security. One of the recent projects include electronic intrusion and access detection. This project utilizes electronic methods including use of surveillance cameras, metal detectors, motion detectors, and alarm systems, the objective of which is to monitor and control access of unwanted elements of crime. Modern buildings and property are fitted with surveillance cameras, motion detectors, and alarm systems to alert security when unwanted individuals or people with criminal behavior. In some cases, electronic scanners are installed the aim of which is to detect any hidden weapons by people with criminal behavior.

Another recent project related with architectural layout and designs. This project constitutes use of architectural methods including site planning, signage, circulation control, and landscaping. These projects could be seen in the design of walkways. For instance, in walkways, designers use landscaping to direct foot traffic to either to proper entrances to buildings or away from private property. In most cases, designers are using proper landscaping to provide good views from and to the building so that anybody with a criminal behavior will feel as if they are being monitored from the clear view of the target building or property. Another example of projects related to architectural layout is where designers design entryways to create transitional areas between the particular buildings and particular streets. By so doing, the designer will have succeeded in reinforcing particular territories. Even private property areas and property lines are defined with fences, pavement, and or plantings.

With regards to the future of CPTED, some strategies are used in architectural designs to discourage particular behaviors. For example, to discourage public urination, "architectural designs would be using water resistant paints" (Crowe, & National Crime Prevention Institute (University of Louisville), 2000) which would expel liquids such urine such that when an individual starts urinating in public place, the urine would be splashed back to them water resistance paints as a way of discouraging offenders from doing so.

In conclusion therefore, the CPTED is a set of principles designed to be employed in preventing crime. One of the cautions discussed is that no system is full prove because individuals with band intentions may temper with the security detail and as such, people should always be on the lookout for their safety in spite of the environmental design geared towards prevention of crime.

References

Crowe, T. D., & National Crime Prevention Institute (University of Louisville). (2000). Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Boston, Mass: Butterworth-Heinemann.