What Are Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Strategies?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) includes strategies implemented to directly modify the environment to take advantage of pre-existing environmental assets or change the design features and condition of particular targets (e.g., store fronts, parking garages, or abandoned buildings) or areas in an effort to reduce crime. In some instances, CPTED strategies are implemented during the beginning phases of a project (e.g., during planning of a new housing development). But, in many instances, the strategies are applied when the need for intervention occurs (e.g., adding security cameras to a store after a robbery). CPTED strategies are often linked with other community-based crime prevention strategies, such as problem-oriented policing, which emphasizes tailoring crime prevention strategies to solve specific problems. As with other types of community-based crime prevention programs, CPTED is made up of multiple elements or approaches and can be used by various stakeholders within and outside of the criminal justice system. CPTED strategies address quality of life issues by attempting to deter criminal activity, increase overall safety for citizens, and reduce citizen fear of crime. CPTED strategies are thus evaluated to determine not only whether crime was reduced but also whether citizen perceptions of crime were affected by implementation of the strategy. Several key components of CPTED are often manipulated to impact crime and positively affect public perceptions of safety including:

Territoriality (promotes a sense of ownership and may include the use of signs, fences, or artwork that helps define ownership of a given location);

Activity Support (encourages legitimate activities in public places to foster opportunities for natural surveillance and may include block parties, neighborhood clean-up days, or the design of mini malls to encourage more social interaction);

Access Control (restricts access to specific areas and can include the use of street barricades, landscaping, locked doors, changes in pedestrian or vehicular traffic patterns, or the use of security personnel to keep people away from restricted areas);

Surveillance (increases visibility by natural, formal, and mechanical methods such as through promoting routine surveillance by community residents or through the practice of employing more than one employee at retail stores, police patrols, or Closed Circuit Television also referred to as CCTV);

Maintenance (insures the routine maintenance or upkeep of the environment such as clean up programs or repairs and modifications to meet new threats); and

Target Hardening (adds physical features that will make it more difficult to commit a crime such as through the use of improved lighting or electronic alarms).

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Resources

CPTED Ontario
Design Centre for CPTED
The International Clearinghouse on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
National Crime Prevention Council, CPTED
National Institute of Crime Prevention
Secured by Design

State and Local Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Resources

Los Angeles Police Department Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Florida CPTED Network
Fort Wayne Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Virginia Crime Prevention Association (VCPA)

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