Designing out crime aims to make the environment and communities less susceptible to crime and disorder by altering its design. It has influenced many movements such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), Community Crime Prevention (CCP) and Situational Crime Prevention.
Designing out crime works on four main elements:
Natural Surveillance
Natural surveillance is key to creating safer streets in Starley Cross. This is achieved by combining physical design, people and activities to have the most amount of surveillance. Windows and private spaces provide people with the opportunity to see strangers, therefore reducing the likelihood of crime.
Territoriality
Designing out crime suggests that humans, just like animals, naturally defend territory- it is a biological trait. Therefore, the layout needs to have clear boundaries between public and private spaces that create notions of ownership within the community which residents can then protect.
Access Control
Access control is managing activity in certain areas. For example, putting gates or key codes in certain areas will prevent unwanted people entering, therefore making it safer and reducing the chance of crime occurring.
Activity Support
Similar to access control, this looks at using areas for the right reasons. For example, using large open spaces to hold community events will not only strengthen social bonds but also reduce the opportunity for crime.
(Certified Crime Consultants, 2019)
Many criminological theories believe that environmental factors are better at explaining crime than individual characteristics. These theories are:
Rational choice theory
The rational choice theory derived from situational crime prevention and aims to limit the opportunity for crime by changing the environment (Clarke, 1980). Rational choice theory adopts the belief that an individual is a reasoning actor who will weigh up the positives and negatives before making a rational choice of whether to commit the crime or not.
Routine activities theory
Routine activities theory was first talked about by American theorists Felson and Cohen in the 1950’s and focuses on the situations of crime ad how to present them (Cohen and Felson, 1979). The theory has three key points; a likely offender, a suitable target and the lack of a capable guardian.
Broken windows theory
This theory was first introduced by social scientists Wilson and Kelling in the 1980’s (Wilson and Kelling, 1982). The theory explains that clear visible signs of antisocial behaviour or crime create an environment that can further increase the rate of crime. In order to prevent this occurring, policing needs to focus on more minor crimes such as vandalism which will, in turn, prevent more serious crimes.
A designing out crime analysis of Starley Cross
There are many troubled areas in Starley Cross. This section will focus on three key areas.
Manor Estate
One of the most problematic areas in Starley Cross is Manor Estate. It has the highest crime rate of all the areas, so therefore needs the most attention and the most change. From a designing out crime perspective, the main problem with the estate is the high-rise tower block. Tower blocks are regularly linked to higher rates of crime, specifically burglary, this also increases the fear of crime causing unrest and a sense of moral panic within its residents (Felson, 1995). Their usual poor lighting, cramped nature and general lack of maintenance make them almost impossible to have any of the four main points mentioned above. This will undergo a huge redevelopment, turning it into a safer and more appealing place to live. For more information click here.
Frykman Terrace and Kray Street
Other than Manor Estate, this is the most problematic area of Starley Cross and has the second highest crime rate in the town. The old and run-down look of these streets is considered to be increasing crime in this area, specifically burglary and property crime.
Starley Green
Starley Green is a park open to the public that is currently just a large open space with no real purpose. This is attracting loitering youths that are being labelled u other residents, therefore making it an unattractive place to go. Starley Green is also prone to vandalism, further reducing its popularity.
Limitations of designing out crime
Just like every other method, designing out crime has its problems. The most common argument is that crime will always happen somewhere. Regardless of whether crime is reduced in one area, authors argue criminals will just divert their attention to another area or target (Cozens, Saville and Hillier, 2005). Although this is a major issue, Starley Cross is not a huge town and with multiple methods working together, this problem can be overcome.
Another problem with this method is housing allocation. As Starey Cross has a very diverse community, it is important to have a good balance of cultures and backgrounds when allocating houses. Schweitzer, Kim and Mackin (1999), explain that demographic mix and socio-economic status can be influential on crime rates, so it is important to consider this when allocating houses. The current residents of Manor Estate are generally unemployed or have low a low household income. These groups of people being housed together can have a negative effect on crime rates so therefore, to prevent this from happening again, it is important to mix groups of different backgrounds. This will not only increase the effectiveness of the community but also help to reduce transience in Starley Cross.
Starley Cross Community Safety Team 