CPTED is one of the primary strategies employed by Safeways to reduce the likelihood that crimes will occur at our certified communities. CPTED is based on the “opportunity theory” of criminal behavior (i.e. crime can only occur where a victim encounters an offender in the absence of guardians). CPTED reduces an offender’s opportunity to commit a crime via environmental interventions which communicate that criminal activity on site will be seen, reported, and prosecuted. This decreases the likelihood that a potential offender will commit a crime on site. CPTED concepts have been discussed in social science and law enforcement since the early 1970’s. Today, thousands of law enforcement agencies nationally and worldwide recognize the effectiveness of CPTED to deter crime in their communities. Several municipalities are even adopting CPTED principles in their planning and zoning laws, as well as local rental property ordinances.

Safeways’ CPTED specialists are certified by the National Institute of Crime Prevention and have hundreds of hours of training and experience analyzing crime problems and designing and implementing custom solutions for the particular problem a property is experiencing. These interventions can range from the very simple and inexpensive, such as changing light fixtures or trimming landscaping features, to more complex interventions such as organized or mechanical surveillance and perimeter control. Our CPTED Specialists’ primary goal to achieve maximum site security and quality of life with minimum intrusiveness and expense.