Introduction
Natural surveillance increases potential offenders’ perception of being seen by maximising visibility so that people are more aware of their surroundings (Lindblom and Kajalo 2011). In Starley Cross we will deploy natural surveillance across the whole area in order to reduce fear of crime (Ekblom 1998). To increase natural surveillance in Starley Cross we shall use:
Street Lights
Street lights increases opportunity for surveillance by providing better visibility, in turn this should deter potential offenders as the risk of getting caught is greater (Atkins, Husain and Storey 1991). Moreover, the fear of crime in Starley Cross is 33% higher at night compared to during the day, hopefully the street lights will reduce the fear of crime at night by reducing darkness (Atkins, Husain and Storey 1991). These two factors we believe will be of great benefit to the residents of Starley Cross.
(Storeyblocks 2019)
Recent research by the University of Chicago Crime Lab New York (2017) found that when new and improved street lights were introduced into a New York public housing area, similar to the Manor Estate, night time crime reduced by 39% during the six-month study period. These findings suggest that street lighting can have a dramatic effect on crime levels, we hope once the new street lights are introduced into Starley Cross crime rates will drop (University of Chicago Crime Lab New York 2017).
Neighbourhood Watch
In Starley Cross we hope to set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. Neighbourhood Watch is a community run group of volunteers who work together to take care of their area by keeping a look out for any suspicious activity (Neighbourhood Watch 2019; GOV.UK 2019). The scheme will provide capable guardians in areas where none or few are present (Chenery 2017). Routine activities theory would suggest that the presence capable guardian is likely to deter potential offenders (Burke 2014; Cohen and Felson 1979). The Neighbourhood Watch is also part of our community crime prevention intervention, to read these benefits click here.
Potential Issues
A potential issue with increasing surveillance is that it may not reduce crime but instead cause it to displace (Guerette and Bowers 2009; Waples, Gill and Fisher 2009). In the case of Starley Cross, it would mean that criminal activities would move away from areas where street lighting is present to hidden places that are not under surveillance (Guerette and Bowers 2009).
Starley Cross Community Safety Team 