​

The City Action Strike Team (CAST) takes a proactive approach to reduce crime and mitigate longstanding chronic quality of life issues within the City that are cross-departmental in nature. CAST utilizes a data-driven approach to identify areas with high rates of violent crime and environmental factors that contribute to crime. CAST works diligently with city departments, government agencies, and organizations to provide rapid response to recurring issues that impact quality of life and public safety. Focused on implementing improvements and cultivating long-term solutions through Risk Terrain Modeling, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), community and stakeholder engagement, and strategic innovative measures.  

Strategies include:

What is Risk Terrain Modeling?

Risk Terrian Modeling (RTM) is diagnostic technique and method that analyzes environmental and conditional factors contributing to criminal activity, allowing for targeted interventions in areas most at risk. RTM considers elements like poorly lit streets, abandoned buildings, vacant lots, graffiti, convenience stores, apartments, blight which can create opportunities for crime and encourage criminal behavior. 

What is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design?

CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design, as well as the management of built and natural environments, to reduce victimization, deter criminal behavior, and build a sense of community. It is applied to all property types including residential homes, apartments, schools, vacant lots, parks, commercial businesses. The goal is to prevent crime by designing a physical environment that positively influences human behavior. CPTED aims to reduce crime and the fear of crime by removing opportunities for criminal activity and behavior promoting positive interactions with space. CPTED principles and core strategies include natural surveillance, natural access control, activity support, territorial reinforcement, maintenance and management, target hardening, landscaping. CPTED seeks to improve quality of life and create social and economic opportunities.

If you own or manage a property, you can learn more about CPTED or request a free CPTED evaluation by contacting CrimePreventionUnit@dallas.gov. An evaluation includes a comprehensive site assessment and detailed crime prevention report with crime prevention measures and recommendations. 

Core Principles of CPTED

Natural Surveillance: Natural Surveillance is a design concept that promotes the ability to see and be seen. Natural Surveillance is promoted by features that maximize visibility of people in public areas such as parking lots, building entrances, lobby areas, and restroom access points: doors and windows that look out on to streets and parking areas, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and streets, front porches, adequate nighttime lighting all support Natural Surveillance.

Territorial Reinforcement/Territoriality: This concept uses physical design and other features to provide clear guidance on what the intended (positive) uses are as well as features that signal to potential offenders' predictable consequences for inappropriate (negative) uses. Territorial reinforcement is promoted by features that declare who a space is managed by, define property lines and distinguish private from public spaces using landscape, pavement design, entryway treatments, and "CPTED" fences - fencing that provide unrestricted lines of sight.

Access Control: Natural Access Control decreases the opportunity for crime to occur by denying access to crime targets and by creating a perception of risk. Natural Access Control is gained by designing streets, sidewalks, building entrances and neighborhood gateways to clearly indicate public routes. Access to private areas is discouraged through use of structural elements.

Maintenance & Management: In addition to the above strategies, care and maintenance serves as an expression of ownership and supports use of a space for its intended purpose. Deteriorated structures, accumulated litter, graffiti, and abandoned property indicates less control by place managers and signals tolerance of disorder. Violations of municipal, state, and federal ordinances, codes, and regulations should be addressed consistently and adequately. Well-maintained, clean places promote a positive image, inviting positive uses and discouraging negative uses.

Activity Support/Community Activation: Where the first four CPTED strategies focus on the design of or modifications to the physical environment to reduce opportunities for crime and increase a sense of safety, Community Activation recognizes that the involvement and support of the people who use and have connections to the place is essential to creating and maintaining safe spaces. Visible activity in the neighborhood gives the impression of community spirit and cohesiveness. The more connected stakeholders are to their neighborhood, the less attractive it becomes for criminals. Neighbors know and look out for one another creating a heightened awareness, therefore increasing social comfort and control.