Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): Investigating Its Application and Delivery in England and Wales

This thesis has two aims. First, it examines how the principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) are practically applied by a representative sample of 28 Architectural Liaison Officers (ALOs) across England and Wales. Second, it investigates how CPTED is delivered across Greater Manchester by Greater Manchester Police Design for Security Consultancy (DFSC). The research demonstrates that when presented with a set of residential plans ALOs are, to varying extents, able to identify locations which time shows have higher levels of crime and disorder. Whilst there is a skill exhibited by ALOs, there is a wide range of performance with some ALOs tending to overstate the risks posed. The skill therefore requires finessing to ensure that ALO input is maximally useful. It is argued that those responsible for the application of CPTED should be afforded more training and resources to allow them to develop this skill. Research underpinning ALO advice also needs to be developed. The way in which CPTED is delivered across Greater Manchester is atypical when compared to other forces across England and Wales. CPTED in Manchester is applied by former built environment professionals and a fee is charged for the production of a Crime Impact Statement (CIS). The aim of the CIS is to ensure that CPTED is considered early in the design and planning process. The thesis reports on how the CIS process was delivered during a period of austerity and examines how DFSC liaise with key stakeholders in compiling the CIS. The associated police recorded crime data for four residential CIS developments is reviewed as a means of measuring the extent to which the developments experienced crime and disorder compared to the immediate surrounding area. During the period of analysis no burglary offences were recorded. Analysis reveals that the involvement of DFSC is dependent upon a client being aware of the policy requirement for a CIS to accompany major planning applications. Some clients request a CIS late in the design and planning process, which limits the time DFSC can appraise the scheme and provide a consultative service. The content and structure of the CIS’ varies depending upon when and by whom the CIS is written. Whilst CPTED is an important consideration for LPAs across Manchester, it is only one consideration, amongst others, for planning officers

A Comparative Analysis of Crime Risk Assessments and their Application in Greater Manchester and New South Wales

While the principles of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) are well documented and feature in design and planning documents, they are still not typically considered and successfully incorporated in the design and planning of a new development. Failure to incorporate the principles of CPTED in the initial design of a development can delay the planning application if later changes are required, impact on crime if left unattended, and impact negatively upon the aesthetics of the development if retrospective crime prevention measures are required. This paper describes how attempts have been made to embed the principles of CPTED in the planning process in Greater Manchester and New South Wales. It outlines the mechanisms these two jurisdictions have adopted namely the Crime Impact Statement (Greater Manchester) and the Crime Risk Assessment (New South Wales) and provides a critical analysis of the similarities and differences between the two approaches. Through this comparative analysis, key positive features of each approach will be identified, leading to the identification of potential ways forward in embedding CPTED in design and planning processes

Racially motivated offending and targeted interventions

This research aimed to identify the prevalence of racially motivated offending among young people in England and Wales and to shed light on the response to racially motivated offending within the youth justice system

Is it just a guessing game? The application of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to predict burglary.

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) aims to reduce crime through the design of the built environment. Designing out crime officers (DOCOs) are responsible for the delivery of CPTED by assessing planning applications, identifying criminogenic design features and offering remedial advice. Twenty-eight experienced DOCOs from across England and Wales assessed the site plan for one residential development (which had been built a decade earlier) and identified crime risk locations. Predictions of likely locations were compared with 4 years’ police recorded crime data. DOCOs are, to varying extents, able to identify locations which experienced higher levels of crime and disorder. However, they varied widely in the number of locations in which they anticipated burglary would occur.N/