What is CPTED? Reconnecting theory with application in the words of users and abusers

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a multi-faceted approach to crime reduction that draws upon theories from environmental criminology, architecture and urban design. It requires the commitment of agencies as diverse as police, planners and housing developers. The importance of CPTED as a crime reduction approach has been formalised through strategy, policy and regulation. This presentation is based on findings from interviews with incarcerated, adult, male burglars and ten Designing out Crime Officers, in England and Wales. The findings reveal key similarities between the users and abusers of CPTED, confirming and elevating the significance of features such as surveillance. However, other features of design traditionally considered as critical to burglary risk are given less importance.