Domestic Burglary: Burglar Responses to Target Attractiveness

Secured by Design (SBD) is a place-based approach to crime reduction that brings together standards of physical security with the broader principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) to set minimum requirements that enable properties to be awarded SBD status. Developed in 1989 in England, SBD is managed by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and delivered by Designing out Crime Officers (DOCOs), Architectural Liaison Officers (ALOs) and Crime Prevention Design Advisors (CPDAs) located within each police force. Whilst the effectiveness of the scheme has been evaluated, so far studies have drawn only on police recorded or self-reported crime. This study adds offender perceptions to that collection of evaluations. Twenty-two prolific burglars were asked to interpret a series of sixteen images of residential housing. The results confirm that housing design plays a key role in influencing offender decision-making, the risk of surveillance and standards of physical security being primary deterrents. The findings highlight areas for improvement within the scheme, particularly relating to measures based upon the concepts of defensible space and management and maintenance.