NCJ Number
45997
Journal
CRIME PREVENTION REVIEW Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (JANUARY 1978) Pages: 34-39
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
CRIME-RELATED RESIDENT ISOLATION AND FEAR ARE MAJOR FACTORS IN THE DETERIORATION OF URBAN AREAS. SECURITY PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL APPROACHES CAN AID IN COMBATTING CRIME.
Abstract
THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY PLANNING AND DESIGN PROCESS IDENTIFIES ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS THAT FACILITATE CRIMINAL OFFENSES AND DEVELOPS STRATEGIES WHICH COMBINE TO ALTER THOSE ASPECTS OF BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND NONPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF CRIME OPPORTUNITIES. BY RELYING ON DATA ALREADY AVAILABLE FROM THE POLICE, COMMUNITY PLANNERS AND DEVELOPERS, TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS, THE SECURITY PLANNER CAN RESEARCH A PROJECT IN ONE-FIFTH THE TIME AND COST OF PREVIOUS APPLICATION MODELS WHICH RELY MORE HEAVILY ON THEIR OWN INDEPTH RESEARCH. MOST IMPORTANT TO PLANNING IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP AMONG CRIME, SOCIAL FACTORS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. ONCE THESE COMPONENTS ARE IDENTIFIED, AN ANALYSIS OF OVERALL PATTERNS CAN BE MADE TO DETERMINE HOW AND BY WHOM THE AREA UNDER STUDY IS BEING USED OR MISUSED. A PIVOTAL CONCEPT THAT TIES TOGETHER THE COMPLEX FACTORS INVOLVED IN SECURITY PLANNING IS TERRITORIALITY, THE SPHERE OF FELT RESPONSIBILITY OF AREA RESIDENTS. TERRITORIAL CONTROL BY RESIDENTS MAKES AN AREA LESS ATTRACTIVE TO THE CRIMINAL AND PROVIDES FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIME. THREE CONDITIONS MAKE SUCH CONTROL POSSIBLE: THE RESIDENT FEELS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WITH HIS NEIGHBORS FOR AN AREA BEYOND HIS OWN DWELLING; THE RESIDENT IS ABLE TO PERCEIVE WHEN THIS AREA IS THREATENED AND IS WILLING TO ACT ON THIS PERCEPTION; AND THE POTENTIAL OFFENDER PERCEIVES HE IS INTRUDING ON ANOTHER'S DOMAIN AND IS LIKELY TO BE DETERRED. TWO MAJOR FACTORS MAKE THIS CONTROL POSSIBLE: A CLEARLY DEMARCATED HIERARCHY OF SOCIAL TERRITORIAL ZONES, AND THE PROJECTION OF ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND VITALITY. THUS, RESIDENT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC USE AND CONTROL OF THE URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD IS A MAJOR GOAL OF SECURITY PLANNING. THE DESIGN OF EACH ELEMENT IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT IS SIGNIFICANT AS IS THE MANNER IN WHICH ELEMENTS RELATE TO EACH OTHER. SPATIAL AND USAGE RELATIONSHIPS BEAR ON THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL WHICH MAY BE EXERCISED. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS AN AWARENESS ON THE PART OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE POLICY DECISIONMAKERS OF THE IMPACT OF THEIR DECISIONS ON CRIME OPPORTUNITIES. ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY PLANNING WHICH CONSIDERS THE SYNERGISTIC RELATIONSHIP AMONG ALL ELEMENTS NOT ONLY INCREASES THE OVERALL SECURITY EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEM, BUT AVOIDS AN OVEREMPHASIS ON ANY ONE COMPONENT (I.E. POLICE, HARDWARE) AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OTHERS, AND ENCOURAGES URBAN DESIGN WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF HUMAN SCALE AND USE.