Designing out crime

Secured by design

The design of new developments should aim to create sustainable communities where people feel safe and secure and where crime and disorder or the fear of crime doesn’t undermine quality of life or community cohesion.

It is widely acknowledged that the design of the environment in which we live and work, can influence criminal behaviour. It can also influence a person’s ability to exercise control over his or her surroundings.

Designing out crime and designing in community safety should be central to the planning and delivery of all new developments.

Planning out crime also makes sense financially. Once a development has been completed the main opportunity to incorporate crime prevention measures will have been lost. The costs involved in correcting or managing badly designed development are much greater than getting it right in the first place.

Addressing issues of crime and safety is not the preserve of any one section of society and integrated packages of measures are likely to be most effective. However, the design and layout of new development should seek to incorporate measures that can deter crime and reduce anti-social behaviour.

This includes ensuring that development responds to the site’s surrounding context, that crime deterrent features are incorporated into the design at the earliest stages of development and that such features are balanced with the need to provide good quality development.

There are seven attributes of sustainable development that are particularly relevant to crime prevention.

• Access and movement: places with well-defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide for convenient movement without compromising security.
• Structure: places that are structured so that different uses do not cause conflict.
• Surveillance: places where all publicly accessible spaces are overlooked.
• Ownership: places that promote a sense of ownership, respect, territorial responsibility and community
• Physical protection: places that include necessary, well-designed security features.
• Activity: places where the level of human activity is appropriate to the location and creates a reduced risk of crime and a sense of safety at all times.
• Management and maintenance: places that are designed with management and maintenance in mind, to discourage crime in the present and the future.

For advice on Designing Out Crime contact Leicestershire Constabulary’s Architectural Liaison Officer on 101

Secured by Design Award Scheme

The Secured by Design Developers Award is a certificate given to building developments which, following consultation with the local police Architectural Liaison Officer (ALO), are built to conform to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines and so reduce the opportunity for crime.

It is essential that consultation takes place with the ALO at the earliest opportunity, preferably at the design stage and before planning permission is sought.

Secured by Design and similar crime prevention initiatives are managed at a national level by ACPO Crime Prevention Initiatives Limited (ACPO Cpi Ltd.).

For further information on Secured by Design including standards and how to apply for site registration, visit www.securedbydesign.com.