NCJ Number
191973
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 117-121
Date Published
October 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article provides an overview of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Program which attempts to alter an environment to reduce criminal activity and offer the public safer communities.
Abstract
The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Program was developed to offer simple solutions with a positive effect on security in neighborhoods. CPTED was initiated with the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program in Mesa, Arizona, in 1992 to address problems with apartment complexes. CPTED today has become more specialized and has branched out. The primary purpose of CPTED is to change the physical environment to eliminate criminal activity. CPTED involves three key principles: (1) surveillance, (2) access control, and (3) territorial reinforcement. The theory behind CPTED is that all possibilities for natural crime prevention should be exhausted before the involvement of mechanical and organized strategies. The article discusses various components of a CPTED program including: initial start up of a CPTED program, highlighting Savannah, Georgia, lease agreements with tenants, the inconveniencing of criminals, and community protection. The ultimate goal of a CPTED program is to create a model community and keep the criminal element from living and thriving in the neighborhood.