Crime Prevention Unit

A Crime Prevention Specialist or a Police Officer will come to your home and review your property for ways to improve the security of your home.  If you pass the security survey or make the necessary changes, you may qualify for a five percent reduction in your homeowner's insurance premium.  Surveys are a "FREE" service provided by the Police Department and are available by calling for an appointment.  The visit is designed to increase the security of your home whether or not you intend to apply for the homeowner's insurance premium reduction. For more information or to set up an appointment, call the Community Services Division at 676-6520.

This survey is designed to increase security for business properties and employees who work there. Call the Community Services Division for more information or to schedule an appointment at 676-6520.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

CPTED is a set of tools to help users design the physical environment in ways that reduce or remove identifiable crime risks.  CPTED should be a key element in any local comprehensive crime prevention and control strategy. Decisions made by planners, designers, and law enforcement officials can help or hinder a neighborhood for decades. These decisions influence resident and business conditions and behavior. They also influence two related phenomena the probability that a crime will occur and the public's perception of community safety. The concept of crime prevention linked with environmental design provides a framework in which to assess opportunities for crime and to preclude these opportunities. CPTED uses many city agencies (such as planning, law enforcement, licensing and code enforcement, housing, and others) and members of the community in the solution and provides alternatives to traditional methods of dealing with crime. Moreover, it helps fix underlying problems instead of giving isolated solutions to individual incidents.

Unlike some other crime prevention and control strategies, CPTED emphasizes understanding and changing the physical environment of a building or neighborhood. Other strategies to prevent physical crime have emphasized fortification of property. Bars on windows and doors, alarm systems, cameras, gates, and other techniques were employed to protect people and property and reduce re-victimization. These measures still have a legitimate, even vital, role. Beyond certain levels, however, hardening of potential crime targets can be expensive and disruptive. While alarms, cameras, and guards can mask the symptoms, they may never resolve the problem if the building's location or its design provide criminals an opportunity

Consultations are done to encourage landscaping and building access design to enhance employee and customer safety.  Call 676-6520 for details.