Fighting Crime Through Design

Brighter days are ahead for Park Central Library.

As part of a refurbishment to the 6-year-old branch, Springfield-Greene County Library District Associate Director Jim Schmidt said brighter colors will adorn the 128 Park Central Square branch’s hallways and bathrooms. But the cheerful paint isn’t just to brighten the mood. It’s for public safety.

After attending a meeting on crime prevention through environmental design principles hosted by the Springfield Police Department and the city of Springfield, Schmidt said he became more aware of how color plays into creating a safer environment.

“We learned light colors tend to make people more mindful of their environment, and they are less likely to stay there and do things they’re not supposed to,” he said.

According to the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, crime prevention through environmental design includes strategies implemented to directly modify the environment to take advantage of pre-existing environmental assets or change the design features and condition of particular targets, such as storefronts, parking garages or abandoned buildings in an effort to reduce crime.

In some instances, CPTED strategies are implemented early on in a project, such as during planning of a new housing development.

Schmidt said paint color, as well as lighting and furniture placement, are some of the most simple, inexpensive and yet dramatic changes he hopes will create the best atmosphere possible. The most expensive upgrade will be a new desk for the staff that will be strategically placed to have better visibility over the facility.

“It’s a really small branch, so some really small changes make a dramatic difference,” he said of the 3,500-square-foot branch, adding he hopes to implement CPTED standards for all future branch refurbishements.

Schmidt said the project, at an estimated cost not to exceed $30,000, is out for bid, and should be complete by July.

Renewed interest
Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. President Geoffrey Butler said the CPTED concept is not new, but rather gaining more recognition.

“You’re not getting rid of crime, but people are becoming more aware of it because there is more desperation,” Butler said.

Noting crime can’t be engineered out of society, Butler said it’s his job to design businesses that are not only structurally safe, but also don’t invite criminal activity or feelings of insecurity.

“As architects, we are the design professionals that are in charge of all the aspects – security, landscaping, electronics, etc. – that make up CPTED,” he said. “Not everything needs to be like Fort Knox. The key is knowing the hazards out there.”

Hazards can be as inconspicuous as clutter, tall shrubs or low-hanging tree branches to as obvious as parking lot lighting, security cameras and locks.

Butler believes new construction offers more options for CPTED, though opportunities also exist for interior and exterior remodels.

Officer David Snider with the Springfield Police Department’s crime prevention unit and community promoter for CPTED agrees with Butler.  

“CPTED has been practiced for years – people just don’t realize they’re doing it,” he said.

“CPTED is a crime prevention technique that designs the bad guy out of the picture.”

Schmidt said Snider has been a key collaborator with the refurbishing plans for the Park Central Library branch. Snider counts five main strategies to CPTED that all businesses should consider: natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement, natural access control, target hardening and maintenance.

Eyes open
While many businesses and homeowners alike tend to close blinds and curtains after hours or when the building is empty, Snider said it’s a bad move.

“People close blinds so others can’t see in, which a bad guy can use to his advantage,” he said.

In addition to interior window treatments, Snider points out exterior landscaping also can hinder visibility.

“We go by the 2-foot, 6-foot rule for foliage,” he said.

That means shrubbery shouldn’t be any taller than 2 feet and tree canopies no lower than 6 feet.

For current business owners, keeping the 2-foot, 6-foot rule in mind is part of the fifth strategy of maintenance.

Butler said landscaping materials and sizes can sometimes do more harm than good.

“You’re creating places for people to conceal themselves,” Butler said. “You still want all that stuff, but you need to be cognizant of where you are putting it and what type of plant you’re using.”

Let nature help
When properties have distinct boundaries – when their territories are being reinforced – Snider said trespassing and crime are less likely to occur.

He pointed to the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners at Sunshine Street and Kansas Expressway as an example.

While there is a chain barrier around the property, a form of territorial reinforcement that many businesses use, the maintenance of the grounds is another indicator that someone is in control of that property.

“I’m extending my sphere of influence with my well-maintained property,” Snider said. “This says trespassing is not welcome.”

Continuing to let nature do the work, Snider said natural access control is simply a strategy to keep unauthorized people out of an area to decrease the opportunity for criminal activity.

For architects such as Butler, this means designing entrances and exits at the proper locations for both foot and vehicular traffic.

Butler also emphasizes denoting the locations with appropriate lighting, while also implementing defense strategies against potential criminals that might take advantage of discreet, unintended entrances.

Increase obstacles
Most CPTED supporters consider appropriate lighting the most vital component.

Snider said there are two lighting options.

“Do you light it up like the car lot at Chestnut and (U.S. Highway) 65? Or offer a reasonable amount of light so cameras see what’s going on and you can see when you go out there at night?” he said, noting well-lit areas not only reduce the incidences of crimes but also the feelings of fear and insecurity in employees and customers.

Snider said contrary to most business owners’ popular belief, the brightest lights with the highest wattage are not the best options for lighting.

“That idea is absolutely wrong,” he said. “Those lights create deep, dark shadows – light pollution – and glare. You are literally wasting your energy.”

In addition to lower-wattage bulbs, Snider also recommends implementing motion-activated lights at front and rear entrances.

Combined with lighting, the target hardening technique includes hostile vegetation, such as rose bushes and poison ivy around expensive and targeted mechanical features such as air conditioners and electric wiring; electronic video surveillance and security alarms; and deadbolt locks and peepholes on a solid door.

While most business owners are mindful enough to lock their doors after hours, Snider said standard deadbolts and screws are often not enough, recommending a simple upgrade to a 1-inch latch and 3-inch screws.

Perception is key
An undertone to all components of CPTED, maintenance is critical for the design and measures to work.

“If you don’t practice routine maintenance, you may be a victim of the broken-window theory – the idea that if you don’t fix your broken window, you’re going to have other things come up broken, too,” Snider said.

Maintenance can be as simple as picking up a piece of trash, he said, to trimming shrubs and mowing the lawn.

“There is the perception that there is active ownership with a well-maintained property,” he said, and this perception deters crime.