Customer Reviews

21st Century Security and CPTED: Designing for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Crime Prevention

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Randy Atlas, PhD., CPP, AIA, is likely the most qualified writers and trainers on CPTED, approaching the likes of the past legends of CPTED the likes of Oscar Newman, the late Tim Crowe, etc. While there are many scholars and practitioners that could rise to take the mantle of leadership defining the face of proselytizing for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to the masses, I think Dr. Atlas's book clearly puts him forward as the front runner. Since 1991, Tim Crowe's book, "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: applications of architectural design and space management concepts" has been the core curriculum for CPTED practioneers, architects, schools, etc; Crowe's book was given an update in 2000. But there have been many improvements, criticisms, and updates to CPTED that have not found their place within one cover until Dr. Atlas released his important contribution to the industry. CPTED is the design or redesign of an environment to reduce crime opportunity and fear of crime. CPTED is achieved through access control, surveillance, and territorial reinforcing strategies that incorporate procedural, mechanical, and natural methods. As CPTED has evolved, several defined schools of CPTED thought have formed that are frequently characterized by the professionals that espouse the school variants; there is a Florida school, an Australian school, and Canadian school of CPTED, and many variations more. Indeed, some scholars, such as Greg Saville, Ph.D. (also a contributor to Dr. Atlas's book), have focused on 2nd Generation CPTED brining even more color analysis to the implementation and thinking that must go into successful application of CPTED strategies and methods. This particular book on CPTED is an important core contribution to the professional security manager's tool kit for reducing crime in specific places. It augments and builds upon the successful work of prior scholars in the field. But Dr. Atlas has done much more than just focus on what CPTED was, or has become. Rather, Dr. Atlas asks the difficult questions, what should we be doing? How shall we adapt to new and changing crime situations? And what about entertaining new ideas about old concepts? Indeed, Dr. Atlas is not afraid of confronting challenges with CPTED theory, but rather meets these challenges head on by inviting guest contributors to his book that bring a collective balance to the presentation of data, theory, and practical applications. In closing, and in fairness the reader, I disclose that I had a very small part to play in the book's production; I am a co-author of one of the 32 chapters of this book, "Chapter 6: Understanding CPTED and Situational Crime Prevention," written by Severin Sorensen, John Hayes, and Randy Atlas. My small participation in this project should in no way discount my review of Dr. Atlas's important work; rather quite the opposite, my own experience with CPTED makes me the perfect reviewer for this important work. It is for this reason that 21st Century Security and CPTED is a must read for security professionals. It will no doubt become part of the core curriculum of CPTED practitioners, architects, police officers, property managers, and security personnel interested in learning how to make the built environment more defensible and safer. The book is a solid contribution to the field, should be in every library of criminology, security management, police studies, and architecture. It is a good read.