Crime prevention through environmental design

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design – CPTED for short, is the practice of effectively planning and using an area to achieve a reduction in the fear and incidences of crime, and an improvement of the quality of life for residents and visitors.

The Greenville Police Department is incorporating the principles of CPTED into its crime prevention activities.  The Department announces that four police officers have recently completed CPTED training.  One officer from each patrol platoon attended the 5-day CPTED training in Greenville, SC.  The course was taught through the National Institute of Crime Prevention.

Officers J.N. Simmons, S.N. Cates, M.B. Grady, and C.L. Jordan completed the training on March 1.  These officers will continue working with the patrol platoons, while assisting with CPTED crime prevention activities in the Department.  More officers will participate in this training throughout the year.

CPTED looks at the entire community to identify areas or elements that may have the potential to attract crime.  Participants in CPTED training learn how natural access and natural surveillance decreases the opportunities for crime, and how different aspects of lighting and its affect on behavior can reduce criminal activity.  Knowing simple CPTED design principles can lead to solutions that can be undertaken to reduce fear and prevent crime in these areas.  

The application of CPTED principles  are ideal for anyone involved in designing neighborhoods, schools, downtowns, buildings, or revitalization efforts because they involve infrastructural designs with crime prevention in mind.  CPTED is proven to be an effective way of fighting crime and promoting business.

CPTED video