Billings Chamber of Commerce > Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Our Smart Design, Safer Spaces initiative seeks to make Billings a safer city, one property at a time. The environment around us, including the built environment, influences our behavior and would-be criminals are no different. Certified CPTED practitioners from the Billings Chamber and the Downtown Billings Alliance can survey your property and identify ways the built environment on your property can be improved to deter crime and make you, your employees, and your customers feel safer.

Email jack@billingschamber.com to schedule a CPTED survey of your property

What is CPTED?

CPTED is the proper design and effective use of the built environment that can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime and an improvement in quality of life. It is the interplay and the impact of the four CPTED principles, consisting of:

Natural Surveillance: does the space promote “eyes on the streets” and ensure users have a comfortable level of situational awareness in that space, deterring criminal activity? Or does the design of an area prohibit surveillance, like where there are no windows, or maintenance issues obstruct sight lines.

Natural Access Control: do the architecture, wayfinding/signage, real/symbolic barriers, and access security measures, passively and actively ensure people move through our spaces appropriately?

Territorial Reinforcement: is ownership of the space implicitly and explicitly established, managing expectations and behaviors of users?

Maintenance: ensures the other elements of CPTED function properly and establishes the space is actively monitored and cared for.

Trimming this tree improved natural surveillance by allowing people to easily see past it, while the rocks below improve natural access control by cutting down on unwanted foot traffic and loitering.
This lighting improves natural surveillance at night, and discourages sleeping in that area – all while adding aesthetic value.
Removing the graffiti (a maintenance improvement) will discourage future graffiti while demonstrating active ownership (territorial reinforcement). The addition of this short fence and larger rocks improves natural access control by cutting down on cut-through foot traffic and loitering.

CPTED Security Surveys

Have Your Property Surveyed

The first step is to reach out to the Billings Chamber and sign up for a security survey. Our staff, certified by the National Institute for Crime Prevention (NICP), will work with you to schedule an evaluation. That process is outlined below:

  • Initial interview with business (1 hour)
  • CPTED security survey (dependent on property size, between 1 – 3 hours)
  • Presentation of CPTED security survey recommendations and written report to business (within 14 days 30 min)
  • Evaluation of recommended CPTED improvements (dependent on diligence of businesses to implement recommendations)

To learn more or schedule an evaluation, simply email Dan Brooks or Jack Jennaway.

CPTED Certified Partners