An exploratory study of crime risks and the planning process

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) was recognised in New South Wales (NSW) through the adoption of Section 79c Guidelines in April 2001. Since the introduction of the Guidelines there has been little analysis of their impact. Given that the Guidelines are predominantly the responsibility of local government (councils) to administer, we sought to address the existing gap in knowledge by interviewing planning staff from 10 Sydney councils. Findings from these semi-structured interviews suggest that there has been an increased focus on CPTED as a consequence of the Guidelines. All councils represented in the sample have formal or informal relationships with their local police and invite police to review and comment on particular development applications. The types of developments reviewed by police, the nature of the feedback provided and the weight given to these police comments/recommendations vary across councils. Most reported that planning staff had received some training in CPTED (although much of this training appears to be historical rather than recent). This article concludes with some suggestions for further research and consideration of the efficacy of current arrangements in NSW.