Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Environmental design can help prevent crime. There are several ways to achieve this. Natural surveillance, natural territorial reinforcement and natural access control are the three most common environmental designs used.

Natural surveillance is where an intruder feels he or she can be seen. Natural surveillance makes the potential intruder or offender leery of committing a crime due to less availability of an escape route.

Such items that are natural surveillance include placing windows that overlook parking lots and sidewalks. If you want a fence around your home, business, etc. make it as short as possible. This way the fence will not let the intruder think that no one can see them. Another great way of crime prevention through environmental design is to leave the window shades open. The criminal cannot tell if someone is looking at him or her.

Another way to use CPTED is to use lighting. Make sure you put lights that will light up paths, entrances as well as exits, mailboxes, parking lots, ATMs, paths, etc. This is an excellent deterrent. Make sure you place the lights in areas that will not blind or cause shadows so that people can still see if there is an intruder. Use a lower lighting to help with this problem.

Of course cameras are a very popular device that people like to use on their homes and/or businesses to help prevent crime.

Natural territorial reinforcement is another way to prevent crime through environmental design. You can use many items to help prevent crime through territorial reinforcement. The idea is to define where your business or home lies. In other words, take ownership. This shows that you own the property and you will fight for it. Also, intruders will feel more apt to be caught as they are easier to identify.

Territorial reinforcement is done by keeping your home or business well maintained. Keep your yard or land neat shows that someone lives or works there. Add trees to your land to make others feel more safe. Make restrictions to specific areas to show were the private activities can take place. Hang security system information on the building you are trying to protect.

To use natural access control for CPTED is quite simple and it works. To start with, create a single point of entrance that is easy to identify.

Use a maze system instead of two doors to get into a pubic restroom. This makes one feel much safer as well as prevents criminals from committing a crime.

If you want trees or bushes against your building, plant short bushes that stay below the windows in the business or home. Use a front and back gate that locks for maximum security.

With all of the above information CPTED can help you with your home and/or business.