WHAT IS IT ?
CPTED is the broad study and design of environments to encourage desirable behavior, heighten functionality, and decrease anti-social behavior. Its traditional focus has been on the "physical" environment and related controls, policies, practices, and associated technology, i.e., key control systems, identification badges, magnetometers and the like. There are three "basic concepts" relating to CPTED: 1. Natural surveillance (capacity to see what's occurring without having to take special measures to do so). An example is clear direct/unobstructed views from windows, 2. Natural Access Control (capacity to limit who can gain entry to a facility and how), and 3. Territoriality (capacity to establish authority over an environment, making a statement about who is in charge, who belongs and who does not. Examples include, signs spelling out "the rules" or school uniforms to quickly identify who belongs and who does not. Finally, there are 8 "key questions" to consider prior to implementation.
HOW DO YOU USE IT ?
The "key question checklist" could be used to arrange a school wide meeting to address police complaint and response issues associated with a school.
WHEN DO YOU USE IT ?
Police leaders, crime prevention officers, SRO's, and patrol/beat officers could use the "key question checklist" as part of a "committee meeting" prior school construction or once a school is constructed and in need of CPTE interventions.
WHY DO YOU USE IT ?
The "key question checklist" can be used to determine: 1. Risks and opportunities students encounter between home and school, 2. Risks and opportunities posed in areas directly adjoining school property, 3. If school staff observe visitors approaching the school before the reach an entry point, 4. If staff members have the physical ability to stop visitors from entering, i.e., locking doors, 5. How well people can see what's going on inside the school, 6. If staff members have immediate "lockdown" capacity in classrooms and other locations, 7. If the overall school climate is prosocial, and 8. If there are identifiable or predictable trouble spots or high risk locations.
WHO DO YOU USE IT WITH ?
School administrators, government officials, planners, educators, law enforcement officials, security technology professionals, school resource officers (SRO's), and community leaders.
COLLABORATION
A "committee" consisting of school administrators, government officials, school planners, educators, law enforcement officials, security technology professionals, school resource officers (SRO's),and community leaders should review the checklist prior to school construction or subsequently as the need arises.