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Introduction
To some, the notion of crime prevention and "designing out crime" is complex and unnecessary. It is not uncommon amongst those working within the built environment to perceive the subject as an inconvenience and an obstacle which can delay the planning process and add expense. Yet crime prevention can be easily incorporated into the initial design and planning of developments when considered from the outset. It can also increase the wellbeing and sustainability of a community. It is achieved by working in close partnerships with many sectors, utilising the skills and experience of industry professionals, the adoption of effective security standards, supported by legislation and where necessary, enforcement.
The creation of the Secured by Design (SBD) scheme, which is owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), aims to engage with these built environment professionals throughout the design and development process to seamlessly incorporate designing out crime measures into proposals for new buildings of all types. It is the most successful police crime prevention initiative in the UK, and quite possibly the world, with independent research indicating that properties which are built to the SBD standard are 75 per cent less likely to be burgled, compared to properties which are not SBD (Armitage and Monchuk, 2011).
This paper will tell the story of how and why the scheme was launched. It will explain how the requirement for designing out crime has influenced the nature of the built environment. Further, it will provide a vision of how the future architectural landscape of the built environment can achieve all the high aspirations envisaged by designers, without introducing opportunities for crime that will be easily exploited by the criminal.
The growth of SBD
During the 1980s, the UK saw an increasing number of domestic burglary offences, particularly in the southeast. Anecdotally, it was during this time period where anyone who found a key in the street could be reasonably confident that it would fit almost one in six doors nearby, such was the low level of physical security afforded to the home owner. What made this situation worse was that this was common throughout the country.
It was also clear that criminals were taking easy advantage of residential layouts that failed to provide adequate natural surveillance,...