Information for Property Owners
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) focuses on the physical design of your neighborhood or property - fencing, lighting, plantings - to identify areas or elements that may have the potential to attract crime.
CPTED focuses on the areas of Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, and Territoriality/Defensible Space.
When appropriately and properly implemented, CPTED can lead to a reduction of fear and incidence of crime in a community.
*Information courtesy of the Seattle Police Department and Everett Police Department.
Natural Surveillance - CPTED promotes increased visibility in and around a property to deter unwanted criminal activity that may occur in target areas and residences with low visibility. Here are some tips to counteract such activity:
Lighting - Lighting should reflect the intended hours of operation. Motion-sensing lights perform the double duty of providing light when needed and letting trespassers know that “they have been seen.”
Landscaping - Enhance surveillance by trimming back vegetation and landscaping to eliminate areas of low visibility. Seattle Police Department suggests plants follow the 3-8 rule of thumb; hedges no higher than 3 feet, and tree canopies starting at no lower than 8 feet.
Fencing - Fences should allow people to see in, with some visibility.
Windows - Windows with good visibility out on streets and alleys provide natural surveillance. These should not be blocked.
Natural Access Control - Access control refers to homes, businesses, parks, and other public areas having distinct and legitimate points for entry and exit. Generally, perpetrators will avoid areas that only allow them one-way entry or exit, and that have high visibility and/or have a high volume of user traffic. This can be reassured by:
Park or greenspace designs with open, uninhibited access and a defined entry point.
Businesses with one legitimate entrance.
Fencing with a gate helps mitigate the defined access entry and exit point of a property.
Territorial Reinforcement - Territoriality means showing that a community “owns” the neighborhood. Creating flower gardens or boxes, putting seasonal decorations, or maintaining the plants in public right-of-way sends a clear message that people in the neighborhood care and won’t tolerate or accept crime in the area.
Maintenance - A well-maintained space(s) sends a message to the community that someone cares and is taking ownership of their space. Maintenance prevents the reduction of visibility and natural surveillance from landscaping overgrowth and obstructed or inoperative lighting.
Social Management - Social management and community activation recognize that the involvement and support of the community play an essential role in creating and maintaining safe and activated spaces. Social management/community activation benefits include:
Open opportunities for social interaction and cultural exchange among community members.
Connection between an individual and a space.
Community building through installations such as public art sculptures, activities, and temporary greenspaces.