What is a key step that can be taken to reduce criminal activities in a facility?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a proactive approach to reducing criminal activities in a facility by strategically designing the physical environment. This concept focuses on understanding how environmental features can influence human behavior, ultimately creating a space that discourages crime.

CPTED incorporates various strategies, such as improving visibility through landscaping, reducing hiding places, and ensuring that areas are well-maintained. By modifying the environment, it not only increases the perceived risk of getting caught for potential criminals but also enhances the overall community sense of ownership and safety. Spaces that are well-designed and thoughtfully arranged make it more challenging for criminal behavior to occur, as they foster natural surveillance and limit access to vulnerable areas.

While the other options, such as increased lighting measures, stronger security personnel training, and the use of surveillance technology, are valuable components of an overall security strategy, they are often reactive rather than proactive. These methods can help respond to crime after it has occurred but do not incorporate the environmental design philosophy that CPTED emphasizes. Thus, CPTED not only assists in crime prevention but also promotes a safer and more welcoming environment for all users of the facility.