The UNT PD would like to introduce Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to the UNT community.

CPTED premise: “That the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence and fear of crime, and to an increase in the quality of life.”

The University on North Texas Police Department can conduct a survey of a physical environment (parking lot, office, street, or building). Call (940) 369-8984 for more information or to set an appointment.

CPTED STRATEGIES

There are three basic CPTED strategies:

• Natural access control – operates to denote transitional zones, not necessarily impenetrable barriers. Your space should give some natural indication of where people are allowed and are not allowed. Don't depend just on locks and guards, but make security part of the layout.
• Natural surveillance – operates to increase the likelihood that intrusion will be observed by individuals who care but are not officially responsible for regulating the use and treatment of spaces. Traditional factors like good lighting are important, but don't overlook a natural factor such as a strategically placed window or the placement of an employee work-station.
• Territorial reinforcement – a physical design can create or extend sphere or territorial influence. This is an umbrella concept, embodying all natural surveillance and access control principles. It emphasizes the enhancement of ownership and proprietary behaviors.

Some examples of CPTED strategy activities are:

• Provide clear border definition of controlled space.
• Provide clearly marked transitional zones, which indicate movement from public to semi-public to private space.
• Relocating gathering areas to location of natural surveillance and access control; as to locations away from the view of would be offenders.
• Place safe activities in unsafe locations to bring along the natural surveillance of these activities (to increase the perception of safety for normal users and risk for offenders).
• Place unsafe activities in safe spots to overcome the vulnerability of these activities with natural surveillance and access control of the safe area.
• Redesign or revamp space to increase the perception or reality of natural surveillance.
• Overcome distance and isolation through improved communications.

These are just a few strategies being used by CPTED trained officers. For more information or to schedule an appointment for a CPTED survey, call Crime Prevention at (940) 369-8984