Cities and Counties throughout the country are adopting CPTED ordinances requiring site plan reviews with crime prevention in mind. Law enforcement officers who are specially trained in CPTED are now working closely with Planners, Architects, City Officials, and Educators to ensure the proper design of structures, schools, and neighborhoods. These experts know how the design and use of the environment can control human or criminal behavior and reduce the fear of crime. They used natural means such as landscaping to deter criminals. Access control, natural surveillance, different aspects of lighting and its effects on human behavior, all deter crime.

Many landscape specialists incorporate CPTED into their layout & design of landscapes. Each of the following CPTED strategies are low cost guidelines that they apply to reduce the fear and incidence of crime and improve the quality of life.

1. Natural Access Control guides people entering & leaving a space through the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping & lighting. Access control can decrease opportunities for criminal activity by denying criminals access to potential targets & creating a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways & landscaping should direct visitors to the proper entrance & away from private areas. The design should create a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways should be installed in locations safe for pedestrians & keep them unobscured.

2. Natural Surveillance is the placement of physical features, activities & people in a way that maximizes visibility. A potential criminal is less likely to attempt a crime if he or she is at risk of being observed. At the same time, we are likely to feel safer when we can see & be seen. The landscaping should be selected and installed to allow unobstructed views of doors & windows. The front door should be at least partially visible from the street. Shrubs & bushes near windows should not restrict full visibility of the property. Sidewalks & all areas of the yard should be well lit.

3. Territorial Reinforcement is use of physical attributes that express ownership such as fences, signage, landscaping, lighting, pavement designs, etc. Defined property lines and clear distinctions between private & public spaces are examples of the application of territoriality. Front porches or stoops should create a transitional area between the street & the home. Property lines & private areas should be defined with plantings, fences or retaining walls. Use thorny plants along fence lines and under windows to deter access by intruders.

4. Maintenance is a well maintained home, building or community, and creates a sense of ownership. A well kept area tends to make someone feel like they will be observed by neighbors or business owners as it is obvious people care about the area. Keep trees & shrubs trimmed back from windows, doors & walkways. Keep shrubs trimmed to 3 feet & prune the lower branches of trees up to 7 feet. Use exterior lighting at night & keep it in working order. Keep litter & trash picked up & the yard neat & free of items that might attract theft.

The best way for a former city slicker or a seasoned farmer to protect a more rural property is a healthy combination of being self-sufficient and exercising common sense planning, as well as a well-thought-out system that involves a home alarm and a quick connection to local law enforcement.

The first and most important step that any homeowner can take towards diminishing their chances of being robbed is taking care to make the house look perpetually occupied. Whether it’s a few hours out in the fields or a week out of town, an empty house is even more obvious in a rural area, because there’s absolutely no change in activity. Invest in lights attached to a timer, for both the interior and the exterior, so that it seems like people are coming and going. Keep all doors and windows closed and locked even when leaving the property for a couple of hours, so it isn’t obvious that you don’t plan on being back for awhile.

While some people might think that home security measures begin at the front door to your home or barn, the truth is that it starts way out at the property line. Be sure to keep the fences surrounding your property in tip-top condition, and go to the trouble of posting signs warning against trespassing, perhaps even including a beware of dog emblem or an alarm company sticker.Making sure that the property looks well maintained and cared for is a deterrent, because burglars would rather go onto someone’s farm where it’s clear that things are a little more disorganized.

It might be true that country life means worrying a little less, but don’t go too far in the other direction and start to get careless. Newcomers will often rave about not needing to lock their doors, or even crazier, just leaving the keys in the ignition when they pull up to the house at night. Always be sure to remove keys from cars, as well as from any farm equipment.

Be sure to keep the local law enforcement phone number programmed into your cell phone and your home phone, especially in areas where cell phones often don’t get very good service. If there are only a few houses on your cop’s beat, then it’s good to get in and get acquainted, especially if their drive to your property in the case of an emergency would take awhile. Because of this, actually going ahead and investing in a home alarm system often makes the most sense. An alarm will alert all the law enforcement officials who happen to be in the area, but more than that, the noise will startle the burglar and hopefully encourage a hasty exit, too.