NCJ Number
11941
Date Published
1968
Length
41 pages
Annotation
DESIGNING CENTERS OF EVENING ACTIVITY TO MAXIMIZE MUTUAL SURVEILLANCE BY CITIZENS CAN REDUCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIMES OF VIOLENCE.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR PROMOTES ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION AS DISTINGUISHED FROM PUNITIVE AND CORRECTIVE PREVENTION AS A WAY OF FORESTALLING CRIME, AND FOCUSES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AREAS WHERE CRIME OCCURS. HE HYPOTHESIZES THAT CRIME IS A FUNCTION OF OPPORTUNISM, AND THAT AREAS OF HIGH CRIME DENSITY TYPICALLY ARE BOTH EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO AND WELL KNOWN BY THE CRIMINAL, ARE KNOWN TO OFFER HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF FINDING A VICTIM AT A GIVEN TIME, AND INVOLVE LITTLE RISK OF POLICE APPREHENSION. TYPICAL SOCIAL DETERRENTS INCLUDE POLICE PATROLLING AND PRESENCE, COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST POLICE, THE PRESENCE OF WITNESSES, AND GENERAL VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. EMPHASIZING INTENSITY OF USE AS A MAJOR FACTOR IN CRIME OCCURRENCE AND HYPOTHESIZING A CRITICAL USE INTENSITY ZONE, THE AUTHOR PROMOTES ADJUSTMENT OF INTENSITIES OF PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION CHANNELS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN SOLUTION. BY MEANS OF THIRTEEN ALTERNATIVE DESIGN CONFIGURATIONS PRESENTED IN THE TEXT, HE INDICATES HOW SPECIALIZED ACTIVITY AREAS LIKE INDUSTRIAL AREAS CAN BE EVALUATED AT NIGHT, EVENING ESTABLISHMENTS CENTRALIZED, AND STRIP COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS ALTERED TO EITHER DECREASE OR INCREASE INTENSITY OF USE SO AS TO AVOID THE CRITICAL HIGH-CRIME INTENSITY ZONE.