TIPS TO HELP PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY
CPTED TIPS
CPTED, which stands for Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, is a set of simple but effective design rules that you can apply to your home or business. Most often, criminals seek out the easiest target; by following the recommendations below, you'll make it more difficult for them, decreasing the chances of you being the victim of a crime.
There are 3 basic concepts to CPTED:
1. Natural Surveillance
Increase visibility through
improved lighting, designed landscaping and the use of transparent building materials.
2. Natural Access Control
Clearly define entrances to make sure they are visible, well lit and overlooked by windows if possible.
3. Territorial Reinforcement
Develop or create areas or places where the users feel a strong sense of ownership.
Does the exterior of your home or business deter criminals or tell them that you are an easy target? Use the CPTED-approved tips below to find out.
• Plant thorny bushes underneath windows to keep out intruders. Overgrown or improperly placed trees and shrubs around doors and windows can create ambush points or give criminals a place to hide.
• Use vines or planted wall coverings to keep away graffiti. Avoid large, blank spaces on the sides of your home or business, which are easy targets for graffiti vandals.
• Fence panels should not block out all visibility to allow for natural surveillance. Use fencing to create boundaries and prevent access to intruders, not to create a fortress!
• Bushes and shrubs should be no higher than two feet and tree limbs no lower than six feet. Have a maintenance plan in place to keep sight lines clear.
• Address numbers should be clearly visible from the street and be a minimum of five inches high. All windows and exterior doors should have locks.
• Pathways and sidewalks should be illuminated to the point where pedestrians' faces can be seen up to 20 yards away.
• Keeping your home painted, clean, and repaired sends the message that you are taking responsibility for your property and will call the police in the event of suspicious or criminal activity.
• The storage of vehicles in your front yard for long periods of time creates several problems. It presents a target for potential car thieves or vehicle burglars. It creates places for trespassers or criminals to hide. It may also create the image that the vehicles are abandoned and uncared-for, and no responsible person is present to call police.
• Keeping outdoor lighting in good working condition allows for better natural surveillance and helps prevent criminal activity on your property.
• Place lighting in such a way that it allows people to be recognized from 25 feet away. Avoid directing the lighting so that it glares into your eyes or into the eyes of persons passing by on the sidewalk or street. Glare may prevent you or passersby from seeing and identifying visitors to your door. Try to keep the light a white color to allow visitors to be better seen.
• Prune shrubs to no more than 36 inches high and trees up 7 feet from the ground. This allows you to maintain the shade provided by trees and the curb appeal of shrubbery, but it also provides a clear, unobstructed view. It also prevents criminals from easily hiding on your property.
• Leaving the window coverings open on at least a few front-facing windows creates the perception with people passing by that you are watching and will witness any crime that occurs there.
• Consider removing fences or walls that obstruct your view of the street. If you can't see out, then these areas may also provide a good place for a criminal to hide near your house, lay in wait for you, or conceal their efforts to break into your home.
• The quality and direction of lighting is just as important as the amount. Use lights that minimize glare, give nighttime vision to pedestrians, and make it easier for police to perceive and pursue criminals.
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