Reconceptualizing public area surveillance and crime prevention: Security guards, place managers and defensible space

Abstract

It is important to assess the effectiveness of the full range of surveillance measures that are used to prevent crime in public places. Closed-circuit television and improved street lighting are the most well developed measures that are in current use, at least in terms of the evaluation literature. Other widely used public area surveillance measures include security guards, place managers and defensible space. This paper reports on a systematic review of the effects on crime of these other forms of public area surveillance. Twelve evaluations met the inclusion criteria. There is fairly strong and consistent evidence that the defensible space technique of street closures or barricades is effective in preventing crime in inner-city neighborhoods. In the case of security guards, the weight of the evidence suggests that it is a promising technique of formal surveillance when implemented in car parks and targeted at vehicle crimes. The surveillance technique of place managers appears to be of unknown effectiveness in preventing crime in public places. Implications for policy and research are discussed.