Crime Prevention through Environmental Design - Research Paper Example

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Assignment Introduction Crime is a social problem that affects good numberof the world population every year. Complicated crimes against humanity and properties create unquestionable fear in the community. The fears generated from criminal activities restrict people their basic freedom in participating in community activities. In every community, there some people who are very vulnerable to crime and crime related fears. Women, children, and old people are severely affected by criminal activities (Stack 6). Concrete and productive strategies are therefore necessary to compact the crime related complications. Crime Prevention Approaches To achieve the entire goal of crime prevention in any society, all stakeholders should be exclusively involved. Policy makers, community members, developers and law enforcers have to work collectively in the battle against criminal activities. Traditionally, crime prevention was the obligation of the police officers and the judicially. Community members and other community key players were not involved. With the modern technology and complexity of criminal activities in the society, the contribution of all informers in society is paramount. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) has incorporated all stakeholders in addressing criminal activities in the society. According to Crime prevention through environmental design strategy, profound designs and inclusive use of the general environment reduces tremendously the level of criminal activities in the society. The strategy works directly and indirectly in fettering notorious criminal activities in a society. CPTED encourages business people, neighbors and community organizations to combine their effort in preventing crime. The guiding principle in crime prevention through environmental design is time to time community consultation (Crowe 209). The constituents of CPTED are divided into two generations, the first generation and the second generation. The first generation entails components of physical designs. In this case physical designs include territoriality, natural surveillance, access control and image. The second generation is composed of social variables of the neighborhoods. Thunder Bay is one of the biggest cities in northern Ontario Canada. The city is mostly occupied by miners. There are very many idlers in the city due to job scarcity (Zimmerman 200). The city accommodates one of the most attractive tourist sceneries in Canada. The city is known for its high level of criminal activities. Crime is very rampant in Thunder Bay city. The most apparent criminal activities in Thunder Bay city include, rape, and drug trafficking, murder, prostitution, and theft (Zimmerman 200). The security agencies have tried to reduce this criminal activities but their effort is futile. The criminal activities in the city have discouraged tourist in the area. The crimes activities have also developed fear among the city residents. With proper utilization of the crime prevention through environment design principles, criminal activities in the country can be a thing of the past (Zimmerman 200). There is dire need for intensive inclusion of the available resources in the fight against criminal activities. Proper integration of the crime prevention through environmental design principles by the city planners, community, home owners, and developers is the only apparent solution to criminal activities in Thunder Bay city. There most relevant CPTED principles in the city includes The Natural Surveillance Principle The principle is based on the notion that, criminals do not wish to be observed when doing their criminal activities (Jeffrey 140). The legitimate users of the city or any residential place are expected to be in touch with what is happening on the street. Through this principle suspicious visitors are easily identified .The basic aim of the natural surveillance is to eliminate all the obstacles in the streets, providing adequate lights in the cities and ensuring there is not hiding places for offenders (Jeffrey 140). The basic idea in this principle is to increase the risk of offenders and keeping intruders out. Frequent surveillance increases the number of observers in the streets. Large number of observers increases the risk of offenders. The natural surveillances can be applied using several applications (Crowe 209). The inclusion of the CCTV surveillance in important buildings is the most modern. The other important and useful applications includes channeling the flow of activities to more people in criminal black spots, frequent security personnel patrols, increases streets lights and removing obstacles in windows to increases sight lines from inside the building. The increased light in the streets and other residential areas threatens the potential offenders. The residents feel a sense of security when there is adequate amount of right The application of this principle can have very redeeming outcome in Thunder Bay city security The city planners have the responsibility of lighting up the city for security purposes. There should be no hiding places for offenders both inside the city streets and the city environs Criminals in this city is known to commit their crimes at night. In reference to this, the introduction and maintenance of enough amount of light in the city streets will deter the criminal operations in the city (Crowe 209). Furthermore, the introduction of the CCTV camera together with frequent police patrols can necessitate concrete investigation and monitoring of criminal in the city. Severe sanctions on the identified criminals will reduce the level of future criminal activities in the city. Police can rely on the pictures in the camera to identify the offenders. On the other hand, with the introduction of street lights in the streets and sight lines in houses business could not be as usual for prostitutes and murders. In this regard therefore, proper utilization of this principle can reduce the level of criminal activities in Thunder Bay city. Natural Access Control The guiding ideology of this principle is to keep away unwanted and unauthorized visitors in residential and business premises. It entails controlling those who go in and out a well defined territory. The principle relies on fences, gates, doors and other physical barriers to put away the unwanted persons. In dwelling places and residential areas the principle can be accomplished through the introduction significant number of gates and locks(Jeffrey 140). In public premises, proper location of entrance and exit gate is important. To control access in public areas application of physical and psychological barrier is important. Physical and psychological barriers imply use of signs, textures or any symbol that define the status of the area. This helps in identifying the potential criminal in crucial public areas. On the other hand thorough screening of the people accessing public utilities like public offices is paramount. The logic behind this technology is to recognize dangerous weapons. The natural access control principle should not be used to restrict public movement in public areas. For Thunder Bay resident to achieve the desired security prosperity, the introduction of CPTED principle of natural access is concrete idea. The natural access principle can increase the magnitude of risk in the Thunder Bay city offender. Introduction of technology which can detect dangerous weapons can reduce future murder cases. On the other hand, thieves’ activities can be aborted through the introduction of natural barriers in residential areas. Extensive screening of visitor in public utilities in Thunder Bay city can also diminish petty crimes in public jurisdiction. The general public should be advised on the best measures to take to ensure unauthorized person are not permitted in their residential areas. The principle requires thorough sensitization of the public and consultation of all involved stakeholders. If properly introduced and implemented the principle can reduce significantly the level of crime in Thunder Bay city. Territorial reinforcement principle The principle is based on respect recognition, and protection of community territory. Communities are commonly known to protect their own geographical areas. Ownership of any territory is expressed through the use of natural components such as fences, signs, arts, and landscaping. In regard to this principle, the community members are supposed to guard and provide security to their own geographical location (Stack 6). A clear definition of the user and owner of a territory reduces crime opportunities. The territories in this case are defined by well distinctive boundary. Through this principle, time to time interaction will necessitate the required identification of community members. Knowing each other in the community will ease the identification of an intruder. The familiarity of each other in any territorial discourages potential offenders. To reduce future criminal activities in Thunder Bay City, territory reinforcement principle can play a very significant role. It is always easy to identify an offender when all community members know each other. Through the introduction of this principle, Thunder Bay cities will form community groups which will define their territory. The identified territory will have the mandate of identifying and reporting the offenders to the relevant authority. Through the introduction and proper utilization of the territorial reinforcement principle it is easy and possible to reduce criminal activities in Thunder Bay city. Maintenance and Management Principle The principle is related with the community sense of ownership. In reference to the principle, territories which are not fully owned by the residents are likely to attract more criminal activities as compared to community owned territories. The image developed and maintained in any territory determines the security status of the areas (Stack 6). The identification and development of the image and identity of a territory is important in reinforcing the community social cohesion and a sense of security. Concrete cohesion within community members not only improve the territory image to the residents but also change positively the perception of the area by others communities. A territory with well defined borders and image reduces the magnitude of social estrangement. Reduced interaction by other communities declines chances of crimes related to frequent interactions such as stealing and vandalism. The communities in the identified territory are expected to take the responsibility of managing and maintaining their territory image and properties. According to the principle, the magnitude of a crime in any area is determined by the area image. Good reputation discourages offenders while bad reputation encourages crime activities. For future security, the Thunder Bay city residents’ must improve the city’s image. Residents need to feel a sense of ownership of the city. Informers in the city have the responsibility of working together with the community members to improve the vanished image of the city. Prostitution and drug trafficking crimes in Thunder Bay city has been thickened by the negative reputation of the area. Tourists come to the city not only to enjoy the attractive sceneries but also for sex ratification. The rampancy of drug trafficking in the city is magnified by the city bad image. To reduce prostitution and drug trafficking, the Thunder Bay city residents have the responsibility of cleaning their image. They should maintain and manage their territory to the fullest. The city residents should identify bad elements within themselves for the sake of their future security. If properly implemented, the maintenance and management principle has the potential of reducing if not eliminating the level of prostitution and drug trafficking in Thunder Bay city. Conclusion Crime is a big headache in the entire human sphere. Criminal elements in human society are a universal complication. Criminal activities are most apparent in poor societies where occupation activities are limited. The variation in the level of criminal activities between different societies depends on the sanction put in place for offenders. Initially, the responsibility of compacting crime in many societies was purely in the shoulders of police officers and other security agencies. With the advancement in technology and the increased level of crime, community members are now involved in addressing security issues. Some of the common crime in human catchment can be reduced through the introduction and implementation of the community capability. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design is a modern technology which has very significant impact in crime reduction. The involvement of the community in crime eradication has proved very productive in areas where it exists. All the involved stakeholders in Thunder Bay city have the responsibility and mandate of introducing the relevant crime prevention through environmental design principles in addressing the notorious criminal activities in the city. The population in the city must be sensitized on how to participate fully in implementing and maintaining all the principle in crime prevention through environmental design. Work cited Crowe, Timothy. Crime prevention through environmental design: Application of architectural designs and space management concepts. Woburn, MA: Butterworth- Heinemann, 2000. Print. Jeffrey, Crowel. Crime prevention through environmental design. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. 2006. Print. Stack, Christine. Crime prevention through environment design. Central Avenue Projects, 2000: 6-24 Zimmerman, Karla. Canada. New York, NY: Lonely Planet, 2008. Print. Read More