BRIMBANK’S acting police inspector has thrown his support behind a council plan to deter criminal activity through building and landscape design.
Brimbank City Council voted to introduce ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)’ principles into the municipality’s strategic statement last week.
These principles will encourage future Brimbank developers to include CPTED elements in their proposed gardens, residences, facilities and industrial buildings.
CPTED aims to increase safety in communities by making people visible in public places, clearly identifying public and private space and creating a sense of ownership for areas.
The Brimbank CPTED amendment will be sent to the state planning minister for approval after last week’s council vote.
The proposed changes to the municipality’s strategic statement will include encouraging pedestrian lighting along pathways and ensuring landscapes do not “create concealment or entrapment areas”.
The alterations would also ensure fencing and landscaping do not obscure doors, windows and public places.
In addition the CPTED clause will, “ensure new development incorporates design features to prevent access between roofs, balconies and windows of adjoining buildings”.
Industrial developers will be discouraged from installing large areas of exposed blank walls and barbed wire fencing.
Brimbank’s Acting Police Inspector Tim O’Connor said he believed the municipality would benefit from the CPTED amendment.
“We do encourage it everywhere and police members can be asked to give advice on it,” he said.
“It could be as simple as removing or installing trees to form a barrier. Or it could be to do with improved lighting in a certain area.”
Acting Insp O’Connor said police officers sometimes advised retail premises on CPTED to help prevent shoplifting.
