Physical Design Features For Crime Prevention Report Example

The physical design features in crime prevention have been put across to reduce the occurrence of crime. To understand criminal psychology, one has to think like a criminal. A perfect situation for a potential offender to carry out crimes has to have some if not all of the dimensions of crime in place. This means acquiring a target, little or no risk, little or no effort and having the reward in sight. Most of the time a criminal may not be certain of the reward expected. For instance in a mugging situation, the victim may not have anything valuable on himself/ herself at that time. The strategies relied on here; greatly influence a perpetrator’s choice to carry out a criminal act. For a potential offender, a favourable opportunity occurs when the target has been spotted, the effort and risk are low and the reward is high. These are the four main factors that drive crime and criminal behaviour.
The greatest fear among offenders concerning crime is the risk of being caught. This is the main deterrent. The crime prevention environmental program strategizes to increase the supposed risk of apprehension for a criminal. This program is based upon the theory that effective and efficient use of a structured environment, the crime rate may considerably reduce. The physical design features or concepts to achieving crime reduction and prevention include territoriality, surveillance, activity support, and access control and image maintenance. Without such features in place, an area or neighbourhood may be sitting vulnerable for criminal attacks. Having the different dimensions of crime preventions set in an area, the crime level will be greatly reduced as this increases risk of apprehension and the effort for a potential offender.
Access control and surveillance reduces the opportunity for any criminal activity as described in the successful implementation of the crime prevention program. This feature may use closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras places at strategic areas and the using community members themselves. In crime, the offender aims to not be caught. This translates to not being seen. Natural surveillance physical designs allow maximum visibility of both public and private space. In this way, a perpetrator may decide against carrying out an offense if the target is in clear view of the public. The features that elaborate surveillance involve designing for example, a street that has increased human traffic, having windows facing parking lots or sidewalks, using a least view limiting wall or fence, having enough lighting in extremely crime prone areas such as ATMs, parking lots, bust stops, pathways and the dumpster areas. In access control, clearly separating public from private space reduces crime. The access point should be placed in well-lit areas have a lock system in place such as in house main and back doors.
Territoriality aims at allowing members of a neighbourhood or community feel a sense of ownership. This will make them become more vigilant to protect what is theirs by keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities in their community. The program idea has been there for years but it is not until recently the program has been clearly defined, waiting to be institutionalized. In the years before, it was common knowledge that giving the potential offender zero opportunity was key to reduce crime. The physical design features should be properly and strategically placed in order to avoid having blind spots within a given area.
The crime prevention through environmental design program implements defensible space as an element to provide maximum control over a large area. The area is divided into smaller, more manageable areas known as defensible space. The crime prevention through environmental design program may be successful if the end user, in this case the community, is least inconvenienced by the physical features. It requires the combined efforts of the community members, the law enforcement agencies, the land managers and environmental designers. The program is sufficiently efficient and effective in deterring crime and reducing crime rate overall. The program relies on the assumption that a potential offender will be deterred by having the physical features in place that will make crime more risky to apprehension. This however, does not mean an offender may decide not to carry out his crime. Thus, it can be said that the physical design features to reduce or prevent crime may not prevent crime, as it is almost impossible to control or predict a person’s behaviour.
Incorporating the physical design for a new area to meet the standards set out by the crime prevention through environmental design program may be costly. The initial costs may sometimes make certain communities decide against its implementation. It should be elaborated that though the initial cost is relatively high, the program reduces the cost of crime prevention without the use of the program. Operational and maintenance cost after installing and implementation is low, thus, affordable in the end. It should be made clear that not all the features and strategies put in place by the program may stop criminals. From its name, the program’s aim is to prevent crime.