Neighbourhood designs can help to reduce rates of crime

Garda Crime Watch with Sergeant Michael Walsh

THE causes of crime are many and complex. In brief, a criminal event happens when a predisposed, motivated and resourceful offender encounters, or engineers, a conducive crime situation.

The situation in turn comprises of a suitable target in a favourable environment. However, if the theory of crime prevention is used to ‘design out’ crime, we can create safer places, and in turn prevent the crime or reduce its seriousness.

Good design is fundamental in creating usable, sustainable, attractive places and communities that are pleasant to be in. Taking into account community safety and how the users of the environment will behave and feel in a particular place is a key element of good design.

This includes doing the utmost to ensure the safety of the community by using good design to reduce the opportunities for crime and to create positive places where people are safe and feel safe.

Through many years of in-depth research into crime prevention and urban design practice and theory, seven attributes emerged that are fundamental in creating safer places. The implementation of these attributes requires planners, designers and crime prevention practitioners to work closely together on the ground. Those attributes are outlined as follows.

Access and movement: Places with well-defined routes, spaces and entrances that provide for convenient movement without compromising security. The success or failure of a place as part of a sustainable community is influenced by the nature and quality of its connections, particularly to local and wider services and amenities.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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