§ 27-578. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).

(a)

Territoriality. Territoriality is a concept that clearly delineates private space from semipublic and public spaces, and creates a sense of ownership. Ownership thereby creates an environment where appearance of such strangers and intruders stand out and are more easily identified through:

(1)

The enhanced feeling of legitimate ownership by reinforcing existing natural surveillance and natural access control strategies with additional symbolic or social ones.

(2)

The design of space to allow for its continued use and intended purpose.

(3)

The use of pavement treatments, landscaping, art, signage, screening and fences define and outline ownership of space.

(b)

Natural surveillance. Natural surveillance is a design concept directed primarily at keeping intruders under observation. Provision of natural surveillance helps to create environments where there is plenty of opportunity for people engaged in their normal behavior to observe the space around them. Areas can be designed so they are more easily observed through:

(1)

Design and placement of physical features to maximize visibility. This will include building orientation, windows, entrances and exists, parking lots, refuse containers, walkways, guard gates, landscape trees and shrubs, use of fences or walls, signage and other physical obstructions.

(2)

Placement of persons or activities to maximize surveillance possibilities.

(3)

Minimum maintained lighting standards that provide for nighttime illumination of parking lots, walkways, entrances, exits and related areas to promote a safe environment.

(c)

Access control. Access control is a design concept directed primarily at decreasing criminal accessibility. Provision of natural access control limits access and increases natural surveillance to restrict criminal intrusion, especially into areas where they will not be easily observed. When present, intruders are more readily recognized through:

(1)

The use of sidewalks, pavement, gates, lighting and landscaping to clearly guide the public to and from entrances and exists.

(2)

The use of gates, fences, walls, landscaping and lighting to prevent or discourage public access to or from dark or unmonitored areas.

(d)

Activity support. Activity support is the presence of activity planned for the space. Activity support involves placing activity where the individuals engaged in an activity will become part of the natural surveillance system. Examples include:

(1)

Place safe activities in areas that will discourage would be offenders, to increase the natural surveillance of these activities and the perception of safety for normal users, and the perception of risk for offenders.

(2)

Place high risk activities in safer locations to overcome the vulnerability of these activities by using natural surveillance and access control of the safe area.

(3)

Locate gathering areas in locations that provide for natural surveillance and access control or in locations away from the view of would-be offenders.

(4)

Improve the scheduling of space to allow for effective use and appropriate intensity of accepted behaviors.

(e)

Maintenance. Proper maintenance of landscaping, lighting treatment and other features can facilitate the principles of CPTED, territorial reinforcement, natural surveillance and natural access control. Functions include:

(1)

Proper maintenance of lighting fixtures to prescribed standards.

(2)

Landscaping which is maintained at prescribed standards.

(3)

Minimizing the conflicts between surveillance and landscaping as the ground cover, shrubs and trees mature.

(Ord. No. O-50-06, § 1, 5-25-2006)