Crime Reduction Officers

The Crime Reduction Officers remit extends over a wide range of activities and includes working with partnerships and neighbourhood police forces to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

You can contact your local Crime Reduction Officer for advice on crime reduction or building security by calling 101.

Architectural Liaison Officers

Cambridgeshire Constabulary also employs three specially trained Architectural Liaison Officers (ALOs). Their primary function is to liaise with and provide advice to members of the public, local authorities, housing associations, architects, the construction industry and the business community by:

• Providing advice on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED is the creation, through design, of a physical environment that is conducive to a high level of security for companies and the community.
• Carrying out consultations relating to proposed new building developments and alterations to buildings in relation to designing out crime.
• Promoting, administering and advising on the Secured by Design award.
• Promoting, administering and advising on the Safer Parking award.

Good crime prevention starts at the concept stage of any new build works or refurbishments and to do so is more cost effective than attempting to put in crime prevention measures later. Therefore do ensure that you contact your local ALO at the design stage and certainly before submission of plans to the Local Authority.

What advice can an Architectural Liaison Officer give?

It is acknowledged that the built environment can influence behaviour and that measures can be taken to reduce the fear of crime together with crime and disorder. To these ends our ALOs work closely with other agencies (public and private) as well as commercial organisations and companies to redesign and alter the existing and future built environment, also addressing known crime and disorder generators. Good practice in building layout, car parking, natural surveillance, lighting and landscaping can greatly reduce the opportunity for crime and disorder.

To contact your local ALO please telephone 101.