(3.2) Environmental design (agencies contributing to achive social control)

What do some criminologists argue on how the environment is built

Some criminologists argue that the built environment can affect the level of crime in two ways

What is the first way of this regarding influence

By influencing potential offender, e.g presenting them with opportunities to commit crime

What is the second way regarding affecting abilities

By affecting people’s ability to exercise control over their surroundings

Defensible space

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What does Oscar Newman argue

The architect Oscar Newman argues that some spaces are defensible while others are indefensible

What are indefensible spaces

Indefensible spaces are where crime is more likely to occur, in what he calls ‘confused’ areas of public space such as anonymous walkways and stairwells. They belong/taken care of/ observed by no one, a

What are defensible spaces

Defensible spaces are areas where there are clear boundaries so it is obvious who has the right to be there.

What does Newman argue on defensible spaces

Newman argues that defensible spaces have low crime rates because of four key features

What are these 4 features

Territoriality, natural surveillance, a safe image, a safe location

What is territoriality

territoriality is where the environment encourages a sense of ownership among residents- the feeling that it is their territory and they control it.

What can certain layouts of territoriality tell

Certain layouts also tell outsiders that particular areas are for the private use of residents. Such as cul-de-sacs projecting a ‘private’ image and encouraging a sense of community

What is natural surveillance

Features of buildings such as easily-viewed entrance lobbies and street-level windows allow residents to identify and observe strangers. Likewise. Cul-de-sacs residents to overlook each other’s homes. By contrast, high-rise blocks often have concealed entrances that allow offenders to come and go unseen

What is a safe image

Building designs should give the impression of a safe neighbourhood where residents look after each other.

What does a negative image provide (a safe image)

A negative image means the area will be stigmatised and targeted by offenders

What is a safe location

neighbourhoods located in the middle of a wider crime-free area are insulated from the outside world by a ‘moat’ of safety

Crime prevention through environmental design

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Who develops Newmans ideas more

The American criminologist C.R Jeffrey, who introduced the approach known as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design

What does Jeffrey argue

Jeffrey argued that the built environment can either create or deny opportunities to criminals. By altering this environment, therefore, we can reduce crime

What did Alice Coleman do in the UK

In the UK, Alice Coleman adopted a similar approach. By analysing 4,099 blocks of flats in two London boroughs.

What did Alice conclude

She concluded that the poor design of many blocks produced higher rates of crime and anti-social behaviour.

What did she find on the production of crime

She that three design features encouraged crime- anonymity, lack of surveillance and easy escape

What does Alice recommend

No more blocks of flats should be built

Each existing block should have its own garden or private space, so residents would look after it

Overhead walkways should be removed because they obstruct surveillance

What has this led to

On the Alison Green estate in West London, the removal of overhead walkways led to a 50% reduction in crime

Gated lanes (an example of crime prevention through environmental design)

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What are gated lanes

Gated lanes are lockable gates installed to prevent offenders gaining access to alleyways, such as those at the rear of many older terraced houses

Why are they used

They are used mainly to prevent burglaries, but may also stop fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour by youths congregating, dog fouling

What do provide

They provide a physical barrier, thus increasing the effort required to commit a crime

What does responsibility of closing the gates increase

Residents taking responsibility for closing the gates increases guardianship and surveillance

How can hating reduce the rewards of crime

Hating may reduce the rewards of crime. As it will be difficult to steal large objects if the offender has to climb over tall gates with the items

Limitations of gated lanes

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What won’t they work against

While they may decrease criminals entering from outside, they don’t work against criminals who live within the gated area

How can trust have an affect

In areas where neighbours don’t know or don’t trust each other, residents may be less likely to get together to install gates, or may not take responsibility for them

What are some difficulties

There may difficulties installing gates if the alley is a public right of way, or if it has several owners all of whom will need to agree. There needs to be full consultation with residents to win their commitment to the scheme

What can gated lanes restrict

Gated lanes can restrict access for emergency services and refuse collectors, which can be a problem

How does the right realist theory ‘situational crime prevention’ relate CPTED

Situational crime prevention involves ‘target hardening’ by changing the physical environment to make it harder to commit crime: barriers to prevent vehicle access to a neighbourhood will make gateways harder

How does the right realist theory ‘felsons routine activity theory’ relate to CPTED

Felson’s routine activity theory emphasises the importance of a ‘capable guardian’ protecting potential crime targets. In CPTED, mutual surveillance by neighbours acts as a guardian

How does the right realist theory ‘rational choice’ relate to CPTED

Rational choice theory- CPTED sees offenders acting rationally. For example, if intruders fear they will be challenged by residents, they will be more likely to stay away from the area

Criticisms of CPTED

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What is there too much focus on

CPTED focuses on defence from outsiders who come into the area to offend, but insiders commit crime e.g domestic violence

What can’t it prevent

CPTED cannot prevent offences that don’t involve physical intrusion into a neighbourhood, such as cybercrime, fraud, and white collar crime and corporate crime

How is the areas reputation important

An area’s reputation rather than its design may cause a high crime rate. If police regard a particular estate as crime-ridden, they will patrol it more, leading to more arrests, a higher recorded crime rate and an even worse reputation

Prison design - the Panopticon

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What does Foucault argue on modern society

Foucault argued that in modern society we are increasingly controlled through self-surveillance. He illustrates this through a description of a prison design known as the Panopticon (meaning ‘all-seeing’)

How does the Panopticon operate

In the Panopticon, prisoner’ cells are visible to the guards can see the prisoners cannot see the a watchtower. The prisoners cannot see the guards and so they do not know whether or not they are being watched at any given moment

how is self-surveillance inflicted

Not knowing if they are being watched, the prisoners must constantly behave as if they are, just in case. In this way surveillance turns into self-surveillance. The guards have no need to discipline the prisoners; the prisoners discipline themselves

How is Foucaults surveillance theory relevant

Foucaults surveillance theory argues that in today’s society, self-surveillance has become an important way of achieving social control. We know that we might be watched so we monitor and control our behaviour