Environmental Design CSC PDF

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Environmental Design...

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CSC – Week 10 Environmental Design Criminology • The study of offending/offenders/crime (simplistic but it will do for our purposes) • Crime can be seen to be different in different countries as well as different time periods. • The motivation of the offender is also under dispute, do they mean to commit crime, are they forced or is crime a product of social conditions? Crime Science • Criminology is criticised for being too long term to enable practitioners to enact change (Clarke and Eck 2003) • Crime Science is more useful because it deals with preventing crime (think condom compared to curing STIs) Rational Choice Theory • Generally associated with Clarke and Cornish (1985) • The rational choice perspective assumes that offenders seek to benefit in some way from their offending behaviour. • RCT therefore portrays offenders as active decision makers who undertake a costbenefit analysis of presenting crime opportunities. • Is this true for all offenders? • Does opportunity cause criminality? • Would removing all security (locks, etc) from society increase crime? • A rational offender will conduct a cost/benefit analysis before committing an offence. • Is this always the case? • Their activities will present them with opportunities as well as targets Suicide • A method of determining if opportunity affects action comes from suicide. • 1950’s gas (coal) 50% suicides • 1960’s switched to gas made from oil, lower CO meant it was harder to die from • 1968 (oil) 20% suicides • Mid-1970s, switch to methane and suicides by gas fell to less than 1% • The suicides just moved to other methods right? • Between 1968-75 suicides fell by nearly 2,000 (despite being during a depression) • Why? • Other methods of suicide are active or require materials that need planning (i.e. a gun). • Removing the opportunity reduced the instances

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Target Hardening • To reduce opportunities for crime we can look at different methods • TH involves making the act of crime more difficult • Strengthen locks, reinforce glass, protection screens, etc • By making the target harder we change the cost/benefit analysis Control access/screen exits • We limit access to prevent ‘tourism’ • Screening exits helps to ensure that people who leave do not do so without paying or with something they should not have. • Ticket barriers, shopping sensors. Deflect Offenders • Creating natural barriers to keep people separate • Different exits for football matches • Different shutting times for pubs. Control tools and weapons • Prevent objects being used to commit crime • Pint glasses • Control access to firearms • Caller-ID • Improved security on ID. Routine Activity Theory • RAT argues that when a crime occurs, three things happen at the same time and in the same space: • 1. A suitable target is available; • 2. There is the lack of a suitable guardian to prevent the crime from happening;

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3. A likely and motivated offender is present. Key to this theory is ‘routine activity’ These are events that take place within a persons daily life We are looking to prevent everyday crime and not ‘career’ criminals

Preventing Crime with RAT • RAT argues that when a crime occurs, three things happen at the same time and in the same space: • 1. A suitable target is available; • 2. There is the lack of a suitable guardian to prevent the crime from happe ning; • 3. A likely and motivated offender is present. • Key to this theory is ‘routine activity’ • These are events that take place within a persons daily life • We are looking to prevent everyday crime and not ‘career’ criminals

Displacement • Critics of crime prevention often cite displacement as being an issue • Geographical – crime moves to another place • Temporal – offending occurs at a different time • Target – different person/place • Tactical – different method of execution • Type – Different crime committed • London underground replaced their machines to eliminate 50p ‘slugs’ • Worry about a move to £1 slugs • 3,500 £1 slugs per month, 95,000 50p slugs • Different stations than the 50p • £1 slugs harder to make (pipe and solder) • Johnson et al (2014) found that displacement is not such a factor as previously thought. • It certainly cannot be shown that crime will automatically displace CRAVED C Concealable R Removable A Available V Valuable E Enjoyable D Disposable

CSC – Week 10 Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry • Brown (1995) found that livestock carriers were much more desirable for theft than other HGVs despite lower cost • This was because there was a much greater market to sell them Crime Reduction • For the past two decades (or so) we have seen a worldwide reduction in recorded crime. • Diagnosis for New York? • Blumstein and Wallman (2000) inconclusive • Kelling and Coles (1996) Change in policing styles • Johnson et al (2000) Crack cocaine • Corner (1998) Policing style (not the same as Kelling and Coles) • UK crime has reduced as well and continues to reduce. • Is this down to the police? Changes in behaviour?

CSC – Week 10 Situation • Situation has been shown to affect whether someone commits a crime or not. • Academic tests (See Farrington and Knight (1980)) • Also in genocide and war crimes. Crime Reduction • We look at the underlying factors behind other events (like train crashes) why not crime? • We know the situation reduces the crime. • If we analyse the situation of common crimes we can reduce the instances of crime • Clarke (1997) defines situational crime prevention as opportunity reducing measures that are: • 1) directed at a highly specific crimes • 2) Involve the management, design or manipulation of the immediate environment in as systematic and permanent way possible • 3) Make crime more difficult, risk or les rewarding The Car • The car is a microcosm of crime prevention at work. Develop a problem and then a solution. • The solution is often after-market for older models, but standard for newer models. • Theft of the car: • Doors, windows, locks, central locking, steering wheel locks, alarms, immobilisers, toughened glass, ‘smart’ keys… • Theft of stereo: • Removable stereo, faceplate, keyed to car, built into dashboard, unique to car… Problem • A problem with situational crime prevention is it can be very dull and obvious. • See opposite • This can make it hard to engage stakeholders and investors • A solution to this is to team crime reduction with design. Designing out Crime • Included within many new products are crime prevention design features (see your smartphone) • By teaming this with smart design we engage the consumer and the investor. • Think about the chair opposite. Bigger Projects • We can use this technique to redefine our public spaces • By thinking about specific crimes we wish to curb, we can make changes to the geography. • These can affect human behaviour.

CSC – Week 10 Hulme Park, Manchester • Hulme park was constructed in 2000 and the entire design process was founded on designing out crime. • The park was 70m wide at the widest point. • Housing built facing the park • A road stayed in the middle of the park and people were encouraged to park there. • The method of segregation from the road was a problem. • Horizontal railings used as they are easier to see through. • The top railing is set at an angle to make it uncomfortable to sit on Hulme Park Other measure include: • Water recycling ditches to reduce the speed of bikes through the park • Paths linking the park to the city to encourage use • A play/rest area that appeals to adults, children and teenagers. • Use of the park reduces crime • This resulted in a 22.5% reduction in crime • However, crime in Manchester changed and there was an increase in gun and gang crime • Mini motorbikes were now an issue for the park • How would you solve this problem? Anti-terrorist bin? • Bins have always been problematic when dealing with terrorists • Large receptacles in a public area with little scrutiny • Removal of bins in a public area leads to littering (see later) • Plastic bag bins? • University of Technology, Sydney Designing Out Crime Research Centre • Approached to create a bin for NSW train stations and trains • Counter terrorism measures are often an inconvenience to the public (the point of terrorism) • Bin size also important (not too big or too small) • • • • • • • • • •

Narrow gap at the back to allow x-ray panel Vibration proof rails surround the gap Means no need to evacuate Simple front locking mechanism is unlockable by bomb disposal robot Narrow opening to prevent bomb entry Bin is narrow: emptied regularly, also easy to mount on walls and in small spaces Top and side are half-translucent Panels are corrugated to prevent graffiti Concertina panel is damage resistant Made of separate pieces.

Personal Space • Mats that stick to the floor surrounding cash machines • Colourful and interesting design

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Prevent shoulder peeking and snatch thieves Reflective panel to allow you to see better.

Problems • Designing out crime can be used to punish the vulnerable • Consider the “homeless spikes” • Or the skateboard “pig ears” to stop grinding. • A lot of these design features are not immediately visible • Consider Terminal 5 of Heathrow: • 700 seats for 35 million travellers per year • What could this be for? • Often these measures replace traditional guardians (police) and place security within the remit of the private sector • Thus outside of the scrutiny of the public (see G4S) • Also ignore the underlying problems • Prevent social integration: a “city of islands” (see lecture on social exclusion) • Distrust: promotes fear of strangers • Lowest levels of trust and belonging in 16-24 year olds in Europe • • • • •

The current government reduced spending on designing out crime within Police and councils. Pushes this into the private sector Less scrutiny. Less tailored. Backlash.

Broken Windows • Originated in The Atlantic in 1982 by James Q Wilson and George Kelling • Links disorder and crime • If a person sees disorder (graffiti or broken windows) their view of the neighbourhood changes • Foot patrols Zimbardo (1969) • Parked two cars with no licence plates and bonnets up. • Bronx car: attacked in 10 mins. Radio and battery stolen • Palo Alto: Untouched after 7 days • Destroyed in hours Broken Windows • Low level disorder • Clean car program in NY • Motivation? Seeing artwork? • Expanded to include: homelessness, begging, fare dodging and drug dealing • Evolved into zero tolerance policing Squeegeemen

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Considered a ‘scourge’ of NY Not a crime, but threatening Charged with jaywalking and issued a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT) DAT not punishable by prison, but non-appearance was. Usually had outstanding warrants

Problems • Repackage a city rather than ‘cure’ crime • Study in Jersey City (Hinkle and Weisburd 2008) found fear of crime increased. • Physical disorder rather than social disorder affects impressions of crime • People in a disordered community (who see it as such) separate crime and disorder. • Reduction in crime in NY due to Zero tolerance? Signal Crime and Disorder • Linked to the work of Innes • Focuses on perception of an area by looking at: • Signal crimes: crimes that define an area or time • Signal disorders: disorder that is repeated and indicates a lack of state control. • Crime that is seen to be indicative of an area. • E.g. knife crime/burglary/series of rapes. • The social visibility of these crimes is important • Not all crimes are equal. Signal Disorders • The state can only function in a repairing context. • Increases fear of crime, by removing legitimacy of state protections • Signals an area may be ‘open’ to crime Conclusion • We can manipulate our environment in order to control crime • But this takes our view away from the causes of crime so does nothing to prevent the need for crime • Displacement happens, but less than we would think. • Preventing crime has an impact on all of us. • It impacts upon our liberty (hint, hint) • But provides security (hint, hint). • It also places social control in the hands of the market and not within the hands of the state....