Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

What is CPTED? The official book definition 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 the quality of life." It is simply a goal to reduce opportunities for crime that may be inherent in the design of structures or in the design of neighborhoods. In other words, make your home or neighborhood unappealing to burglars and thugs.

Cities and Counties throughout the country are adopting CPTED ordinances requiring site plan reviews with crime prevention in mind. Law enforcement officers who are specially trained in CPTED are now working closely with Planners, Architects, City Officials, and Educators to ensure the proper design of structures, schools, and neighborhoods. These experts know how the design and use of the environment can control human or criminal behavior and reduce the fear of crime. They used natural means such as landscaping to deter criminals. Access control, natural surveillance, different aspects of lighting and its effects on human behavior, all deter crime.

Many landscape specialists incorporate CPTED into their layout & design of landscapes. Each of the following CPTED strategies are low cost guidelines that they apply to reduce the fear and incidence of crime and improve the quality of life.

1. Natural Access Control guides people entering & leaving a space through the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping & lighting. Access control can decrease opportunities for criminal activity by denying criminals access to potential targets & creating a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways & landscaping should direct visitors to the proper entrance & away from private areas. The design should create a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways should be installed in locations safe for pedestrians & keep them unobscured.

2. Natural Surveillance is the placement of physical features, activities & people in a way that maximizes visibility. A potential criminal is less likely to attempt a crime if he or she is at risk of being observed. At the same time, we are likely to feel safer when we can see & be seen. The landscaping should be selected and installed to allow unobstructed views of doors & windows. The front door should be at least partially visible from the street. Shrubs & bushes near windows should not restrict full visibility of the property. Sidewalks & all areas of the yard should be well lit.

3. Territorial Reinforcement is use of physical attributes that express ownership such as fences, signage, landscaping, lighting, pavement designs, etc. Defined property lines and clear distinctions between private & public spaces are examples of the application of territoriality. Front porches or stoops should create a transitional area between the street & the home. Property lines & private areas should be defined with plantings, fences or retaining walls. Use thorny plants along fence lines and under windows to deter access by intruders.

4. Maintenance is a well maintained home, building or community, and creates a sense of ownership. A well kept area tends to make someone feel like they will be observed by neighbors or business owners as it is obvious people care about the area. Keep trees & shrubs trimmed back from windows, doors & walkways. Keep shrubs trimmed to 3 feet & prune the lower branches of trees up to 7 feet. Use exterior lighting at night & keep it in working order. Keep litter & trash picked up & the yard neat & free of items that might attract theft.

By: Johnny Kicklighter

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Beginners Guide to Buying a PDA

Are you considering the purchase of your very first PDA? If so, what should you look for? How much should you spend? What features should you get?

Before making the final decision to purchase a PDA, have you thoroughly researched what they can do, and if you really need one or are you just intrigued by having a new gadget like your friends? Let's start with this question. One of the first and still major uses for a PDA is an appointment book or calendar. If you are currently using an appointment book like a Franklin Planner, the PDA can certainly replace this. One advantage of a PDA over an appointment book is that changes don't require constant erasing and re-writing. A PDA is usually backed up on your PC, so there is always a back-up.

A new PDA does not have to be purchased every year like a Franklin Planner, so in the long run it will be cheaper. This plus the previous mentioned advantages may be enough to make the switch. Of course there are many other features and uses for a PDA besides an appointment book, among which are:

Address book
Calculator
Internet Access
Notes and document management
Games
GPS

Given that you are ready to go forward with the purchase, your choice of a PDA model will depend on what you need it for-what you want it to do. Following are some of the important considerations:

Memory - If you plan to use your PDA for storing large documents and other reference works, then you'll need the corresponding amount of memory. Also check to see if the memory can be expanded. You'll need to consider the other software that you might want to run on your PDA.

Size - All the features do you no good if you don't bother to bring the PDA with you due to its bulky size.

Input Options - If you plan on using the PDA to take notes with, a compact external keyboard is essential. The built in stylus input is designed for small amounts of data only.

Battery Life - Again, dictated by your specific needs.

Finding the best place to purchase your PDA can be done easily with online shopping portals. Ebay of course always has offers. One thing to consider for a PDA is a buyers protection plan that is offered by many local retailers. Normally these end up costing more than they are worth, but just one drop of your PDA onto a hard surface can destroy it. If you are buying a high end PDA and will be running around with it daily, a buyers protection plan may be worthwhile.

Article Source: http://www.communicationmasteryarticles.com
By: Neal Brown

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Important phone numbers

Do you know the right phone number to call in a non emergency situation? If not, then you need this list of phone numbers, the list includes every thing from 911 and 311 to your local Precinct.

Please print our the list and save it for when you need it.

List compiled by A. Wallace
__________________
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

Emergencies: 911
In the event you receive a busy signal while attempting to call 911, contact your local precinct. Locate precincts and telephone numbers below.

Non-Emergencies: 311
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-577-TIPS
Cop Shot: 1-800-COP-SHOT
Missing Persons Case Status: 1-646-610-6914
Organized Crime Control Bureau: 1-888-374-DRUG
Sex Crimes Report Line: 1-212-267-RAPE

_________
MANHATTAN
1 Precinct: 1-212-334-0611
5 Precinct: 1-212-334-0711
6 Precinct: 1-212-741-4811
7 Precinct: 1-212-477-7311
9 Precinct: 1-212-477-7811
10 Precinct:1-212-741-8211
13 Precinct:1-212-477-7411
Midtown South Precinct: 1-212-239-9811
17 Precinct: 1-212-826-3211
Midtown North Precinct:1-212-760-8300
19 Precinct: 1-212-452-0600
20 Precinct: 1-212-580-6411
Central Park Precinct: 1-212-570-4820
23 Precinct:1-212-860-6411
24 Precinct:1-212-678-1811
25 Precinct:1-212-860-6511
26 Precinct:1-212-678-1311
28 Precinct:1-212-678-1611
30 Precinct:1-212-690-8811
32 Precinct:1-212-690-6311
33 Precinct:1-212-927-3200
34 Precinct:1-212-927-9711

_____
BRONX

40 Precinct:1-718-402-2270
41 Precinct:1-718-542-4771
42 Precinct:1-718-402-3887
43 Precinct:1-718-542-0888
44 Precinct:1-718-590-5511
45 Precinct:1-718-822-5411
46 Precinct:1-718-220-5211
47 Precinct:1-718-920-1211
48 Precinct:1-718-299-3900
49 Precinct:1-718-918-2000
50 Precinct:1-718-543-5700
52 Precinct:1-718-220-5811

________
BROOKLYN

60 Precinct:1-718-946-3311
61 Precinct:1-718-627-6611
62 Precinct:1-718-236-2611
63 Precinct:1-718-258-4411
66 Precinct:1-718-851-5611
67 Precinct:1-718-287-3211
68 Precinct:1-718-439-4211
69 Precinct:1-718-257-6211
70 Precinct:1-718-851-5511
71 Precinct:1-718-735-0511
72 Precinct:1-718-965-6311
73 Precinct:1-718-495-5411
75 Precinct:1-718-827-3511
76 Precinct:1-718-834-3211
77 Precinct:1-718-735-0611
78 Precinct:1-718-636-6411
79 Precinct:1-718-636-6611
81 Precinct:1-718-574-0411
83 Precinct:1-718-574-1605
84 Precinct:1-718-875-6811
88 Precinct:1-718-636-6511
90 Precinct:1-718-963-5311
94 Precinct:1-718-383-3879
______
QUEENS

100 Precinct:1-718-318-4200
101 Precinct:1-718-868-3400
102 Precinct:1-718-805-3200
103 Precinct:1-718-657-8181
104 Precinct:1-718-386-3004
105 Precinct:1-718-776-9090
106 Precinct:1-718-845-2211
107 Precinct:1-718-969-5100
108 Precinct:1-718-784-5411
109 Precinct:1-718-321-2250
110 Precinct:1-718-476-9311
111 Precinct:1-718-279-5200
112 Precinct:1-718-520-9311
113 Precinct:1-718-712-7733
114 Precinct:1-718-626-9311
115 Precinct:1-718-533-2002

_____________
STATEN ISLAND

120 Precinct: 1-718-876-8500
122 Precinct: 1-718-667-2211
123 Precinct: 1-718-948-9311

Fire in Brooklyn Kills 4

Officials are investigating the possibility that the fire in Brooklyn that killed 4 people on Friday including 2 children was arson.

Traces of flammable liquids were found on the scene. The 4-story apartment building started blazing a little after 5 am and took fire fighters almost 2 hours to get under control.

With reports of children being tossed from the lower floor windows to safety, there was one woman who jumped and died and at least two other people injured. Officials stated that the two injured were also female.

While fighting this blaze the NYFD had to combat yet another blaze in a nearby building that broke out about the same time. It is not yet known if the two fires were related.

Written by A. Wallace

A snapshot of America's fiscal health

A newly released survey of the state of consumer finances shows how important rising home values have been to American families.

According to the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances—undertaken every three years—the median household pretax income (adjusted for inflation) rose 1.6 percent between 2001 and 2004. But the average income actually fell by 2.3 percent.

This stands in sharp contrast to the huge income gains that American families enjoyed between 1998 and 2001, when the median income rose 9.5 percent and the average income soared 17.3 percent.

Still, despite the drop in average take-home pay, Americans' net worth rose slightly between 2001 and 2004, largely as home prices increased the wealth of many families. Indeed, in the three years that ended in 2004, median net worth (once again, adjusted for inflation) rose 1.54 percent, while the average net worth of families shot up 6.3 percent.

Of course, not everyone participated in that rising wealth. The median net worth of families headed up by those with less than a high school diploma, for example, fell a stunning 24.3 percent between 2001 and 2004.

What else did the study show?

·The number of families who reported saving money in the prior year dropped 3.1 percent between 2001 and 2004.
·But the reason why families saved changed for the better. In 2001, nearly 10 percent said they saved money because they were planning a purchase. That fell to only 7.7 percent in 2004. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who said they were setting aside money for retirement rose.
·The home ownership rate rose 1.4 percentage points to 69.1 percent.
·The median value of primary residences rose 22.1 percent in the three years through 2004.
·The median interest rate on mortgages on those primary residences fell sharply, from 7.25 percent in 2001 to 5.90 percent in 2004.
·In 2004, 76.4 percent of families had some type of debt. That was up from 75.1 percent in 2001.
·The percentage of families carrying credit card balances also rose, from 44.4 percent in 2001 to 46.2 percent in 2004.

By Paul J. Lim
Posted 2/23/06in USnews.com