Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: CPTED Theory

1. Institute for Criminal Justice Studies Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design PART I • This TCLEOSE approved Crime Prevention Curriculum is the property of CSCS-ICJS CRIME PREVENTION II

2. What is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)? “CPTED Crime Prevention is the proper design and effective use of the built environment which may lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime, and improve the quality of life” – National Crime Prevention Council. Source: National Crime Prevention Institute

3. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – Forward We live with crime every day. It has become unfortunately a fact of life. Discussions on the subject have traditionally focused much less on crime prevention than on arrest and punishment; measures that cannot be taken until after a crime has been committed.

4. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – Forward Only in last 20-years have designers and architects begun to see the need to plan and build with more in mind than just traditional threats of nature, fire, earthquakes and hurricanes. Don’t get too excited remember Hurricane “RITA” and what She did to New Orleans!

5. Designers must now consider the threat of crime. Enter a new approach to crime prevention – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design or CPTED. Much more far-reaching than dead bolts on doors and locks on windows. Source: National Crime Prevention Institute

6. Designers must now consider the threat of crime. CPTED crime Prevention principals can be applied easily and inexpensively to building or remodeling, and have been effectively implemented in communities across the nation.

7. CPTED - Results Results have been impressive; in some CPTED communities, criminal activity has decreased by as much as 40%. What is the “SECRET” to CPTED crime prevention?

8. CPTED - Results Design that eliminates or reduces criminal behavior and at the same time encourages people to “keep an eye out” for each other. Combine CPTED and a good Neighborhood Watch Program. We are learning to “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX”.

9. CPTED – Theory Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) theory is for law enforcement officers, architects, city planners, landscape and interior designers and residents volunteers can create a climate of safety in a community, right from the start. Source: National Crime Prevention Institute

10. CPTED – GOAL Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) goal is to prevent crime through designing a physical environment that positively influences human behavior – people who use the area regularly perceive it as safe, and would-be criminals see the area as a highly risky place to commit crime.

11. The Four Strategies of CPTED 1. Natural Access Control 2. Natural Surveillance 3. Territorial Reinforcement 4. Target Hardening

12. Natural Access Control A design concept directed primarily at decreasing crime opportunity by denying access to crime targets and creating in offenders a perception of risk. Gained by designing streets, sidewalks, building entrances and neighborhood gateways to clearly indicate public routes and discouraging access to private areas with structural elements.

13. Natural Surveillance A design concept directed primarily at keeping intruders easily observable. Promoted by features that maximize visibility of people, parking areas and building entrances: doors and windows that look out into the streets and parking areas; pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and streets; front porches and adequate nighttime lighting.

14. Territorial Reinforcement Physical design can create or extend a sphere of influence. Users then develop a sense of territorial control while potential offenders, perceiving this control, are discouraged. Promoted by features that define property lines and distinguish private spaces from public spaces using landscape plantings, pavement design, gateway treatments, and “CPTED” fences.

15. Target Hardening Accomplished by features that prohibit entry or access: window locks, dead bolts for doors, interior door hinges and interior floor mounted door stops.

16. SOFT - TARGET Unduly susceptible to attack – vulnerable to attack, not protected, deficient easily effected by action or development due to lack of protection. Passive or complacent.

17. Guidelines For Single Family Homes Residential areas are the heart of a city. Our homes are the centers of our lives, where we should feel most safe. And, while we may have multiple choices when it comes to walking through a certain part of town or using public transportation, we have few choices when it comes to the streets where we live. Source: National Crime Prevention Institute

18. Residential Areas The guiding principle here is "know thy neighbor." Street and homes should be designed to encourage interaction between neighbors: good examples of these design elements are the front porch and property lines that are defined simply by low shrubbery instead of high fences.

20. Guidelines For Single Family Homes Natural Access Control • Walkways and landscaping direct visitors to the proper entrance and away from private areas.

21. Guidelines For Single Family Homes – Continued:Natural Surveillance • All doorways that open to the outside should be well litthe front door visible from the street. • Windows on all sides of the house provide full visibility of property.

22. Guidelines For Single Family Homes – Continued:Natural SurveillanceContinued • Sidewalks and all areas of the yard should be well lit. • The driveway should be visible from either the front or back door and at least one window.

23. Guidelines For Single Family Homes – Continued:Natural SurveillanceContinued • The front door should be clearly visible from the driveway. • Properly maintained landscaping provides maximum viewing to and, from the house.

24. 5326

25. Guidelines For Single Family Homes – Continued: Territorial Reinforcement • Front porches or stoops create a • transitional area between the • street, and the home. • Property lines and private areas • defined with plantings, pavement • treatments or fences.

26. Guidelines For Single Family Homes – Continued: Territorial Reinforcement • The street address clearly visible • from the street with numbers a • minimum of 5” inches. 5326

27. Guidelines For Single Family Homes Target Hardening Interior doors that connect a garage to a building use dead bolt lock. Door locks located 40 inches from windows. Exterior doors should be hinged on the inside and should have dead bolt lock with minimum 1” throw.

28. Guidelines For Single Family Homes Target Hardening New houses should not have jalousie, casement or awning style windows. All windows should have locks. Sliding glass doors should have one permanent door on the outside; the inside moving door have a locking pin.

29. The Four Strategies of CPTEDGuidelines For Subdivisions Often the safety measures taken in subdivision communities, such as high fences and video monitored gates, can have a negative instead of positive effect on residents.

30. The Four Strategies of CPTEDGuidelines For Subdivisions CPTED guidelines, when applied to subdivisions, can create a safe environment without the use of the more common, conspicuous methods.

32. The Four Strategies of CPTEDGuidelines For Subdivisions For instance, streets designed with gateway treatments, roundabouts, speed tables and other "traffic calming" devices discourage speed and cut through traffic. And by keeping public areas observable, you are telling potential offenders, they'd better think twice before committing a crime.

33. The Four Strategies of CPTEDGuidelines For Subdivisions These measures are simple, inexpensive to implement and will have a much more positive effect on residents than gates and bars.

34. Guidelines For Subdivisions Natural Access Control Access should be limited (without completely disconnecting the sub-division from adjacent subdivisions). Streets should be designed to discourage cut- through traffic. Paving treatments, plantings and architectural design features such as a columned gateway guide visitors away from private areas.

35. Guidelines For SubdivisionsNatural Access Control Walkways should be located in such a way as to direct pedestrian traffic and should be kept un-obscured.

36. Guidelines For SubdivisionsNatural Surveillance Landscaping should not create blind spots or hiding spots. Open green spaces and recreational areas should be located so that they can be observed from nearby homes.

37. Guidelines For SubdivisionsNatural Surveillance Pedestrian scale street lighting should be used in high pedestrian traffic areas.

38. Guidelines For Subdivisions Territorial Reinforcement Lots, streets and houses designed to encourage interaction between neighbors. Entrances accentuated with different paving materials, changes in street elevation, architectural and landscape design.

39. Guidelines For Subdivisions Territorial Reinforcement Residences identified by street address numbers that are a minimum of five inches high and well lit night. Property lines should be defined with post and pillar fencing, gates and plantings to direct pedestrian traffic. All parking spaces should be assigned.

40. Guidelines For SubdivisionsTarget Hardening Interior doors that connect a garage to a building have dead bolt lock. Door locks minimum of 40” from adjacent windows. Exterior doors hinged on the inside and have a single cylinder dead bolt lock with, one-inch throw.

41. Guidelines For SubdivisionsTarget Hardening New houses should not have jalousie, casement or awning style windows. All windows should have locks. Sliding glass doors should have one permanent door on the outside; the inside moving door should have a looking device and a pin.

42. Guidelines For Multi-Family Dwellings Multiple buildings pose the same problems as single buildings, but these problems can easily be compounded by the number of dwellings and residents. Here we have a much greater number of public areas to consider: shared interior hallways, elevators, laundry rooms and parking areas. But multiple dwelling buildings don't necessarily mean multiple problems.

43. Guidelines For Multi-Family Dwellings There's a certain amount of truth to the old saying; "There's safety in numbers" and with neighbors who take responsibility for each other there's no reason why a multiple dwelling building cannot be a safe place to live.

44. Apartment Complex

45. Guidelines For Multi-Family DwellingsNatural Access Control Balcony railings should never be solid opaque material or more, than 42 inches high. Entrances into parking lots should be defined. Dead end spaces blocked by a fence or gate.

46. Guidelines For Multi-Family DwellingsNatural Access Control Common building entrances should have locks that automatically lock when the door closes. Hallways should be well lit. No more than four apartments sharing same entrance.

47. Guidelines For Multi-Family DwellingsNatural Access Control Elevators and stairwells centrally located. Only two points of access to building.

49. Guidelines For Multi-Family DwellingsNatural Surveillance Exterior doors visible from the street and neighbors. All doors that open to the outside should be well lit. All four facades should have windows.

50. Guidelines For Multi-Family DwellingsNatural Surveillance Parking spaces assigned to each unit located adjacent to that unit, not marked by unit numbers. Visitor parking should be designated. Parking areas should be visible from windows and doors.