Asphalt Jungle

Abstract

This article discusses the landowner's potential liability to guests who may become crime victims in a parking lot, and describes crime-abatement actions that can be accomplished through facility design and prior planning. A 30-year-old design program called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) can reduce criminal activities and has been recognized by some courts as evidence of reasonable care. The general principles of CPTED include natural surveillance (creating unobstructed sight lines and ensuring good lighting), access control (using gates and attendants), environmental control (building open stairways, eliminating dark corners, and avoiding isolated rest rooms), and security tools (intercoms, cameras). CPTED involves carefully selecting building features, materials, and systems to meet established passive security and active-security requirements. Other security measures include common-sense steps such as having security personnel in the parking lot as often as possible, using roving patrols, instituting crowd-management plans for large events, ensuring that signs will quickly and safely guide guests to their destinations, and conducting a periodic security audit to ensure that the facility's (and therefore the guests') security needs continue to be met.