 | Officer Joe Seitz is a 13-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department and has served during his career as a patrol officer, motorcycle officer, school resource officer and currently as a crime prevention specialist for the Crime Prevention Unit. Officer Seitz also serves on the State's training staff for the Kansas D.A.R.E. Training Center, and is currently the director for "Camp Awareness," a day camp that provides at-risk youth the opportunity to learn about scouting and build positive relationships with law enforcement officers. He has been married for 22 years and has three children ages 19,17, and 13. |
Wichita Police Department
2004-03-01 16:16:00
What is CPTED at WPD?
ANSWER: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED, is a crime control philosophy that attempts to apply physical design, citizen participation and law enforcement strategies in a comprehensive way to protect entire neighborhoods or facilities. The goal of CPTED is the reduction of opportunities for crime to occur. This is achieved by employing physical design features that discourage crime, while at the same time encouraging legitimate use of the environment.There are three overlapping concepts in CPTED:Natural access controlNatural surveillanceTerritorial reinforcementThe objective of access control is to decrease or minimize criminal opportunities through organizational means (guards), mechanical means (fences, alarms, cameras) or natural means (spatial definition, placement of workstations, location of windows). Access control employs people, electrical and mechanical devices, and natural measures to create a perception of risk to offenders and deny them access. It also guides legitimate users safely through the environment.Surveillance is a principle means of keeping intruders under observation. If potential intruders feel as though they can be observed, they perceive the risk of apprehension as being unacceptable. Surveillance can be organized (police patrols), mechanical (properly placed lighting) or natural (windows). Criminals are least likely to act when there is a high risk of their actions being witnessed. Surveillance involves the location and use of physical features, electrical and mechanical devices, activities and people to maximize visibility. It creates a risk of detection for intruders and offenders, and a perception of safety for legitimate users.Territoriality is the development of proprietorship or ownership by legitimate users of space or facilities. A strong sense of territoriality encourages an individual to take control of his or her environment and defend it against attack. A sense of territoriality is fostered by architecture that allows easy identification of certain areas as the exclusive domain of a particular individual or group. This feeling is enhanced when the area involved is one the individual can relate to with a sense of pride and ownership (work area, for example). Territoriality promotes neighborhood pride. It discourages the presence of outsiders by defining private and semi-private spaces, controlling the movement of people and vehicles, and assigning responsibility for maintaining all spaces in a neighborhood.If you are interested in a free security survey of your home or business you can contact Officer Joe Seitz or Officer Dave Gorges at the Wichita Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit at 268-4101.
