Secured by Design (SBD) is the official police security initiative, owned by the UK Police Service with the specific aim to reduce crime and help people live more safely
Part of the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives portfolio, SBD was created in 1989 following the housing boom of the 1960s-1980s when there was a huge and urgent demand for housing, with estates being built quickly and often cheaply without any basic security. This resulted in a significant rise in burglary and, in response, the Police Service set up SBD to combat this and reduce crime.
SBD seeks to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit. In order to reduce crime, SBD work closely with builders, developers, local authorities and registered housing associations to incorporate its police crime prevention standards into developments from initial concept and design, through to construction and completion. Police forces throughout the UK have specially trained Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs) who offer police designing out crime and SBD advice free of charge.
Over one million homes and commercial properties have been built to SBD standards, with reductions in crime of up to 87%. A number of local authorities have even gone so far as to introduce SBD standards as a planning requirement so that they can help to reduce crime.
Developers around the UK can achieve SBD awards for their efforts to reduce crime within their developments. This means incorporating crime prevention measures and techniques into in all kinds of building sectors, such as residential, education, health, transport, commercial, retail, sport and leisure.
These awards are gained by working with the aforementioned DOCOs, who advise architects, developers and local authority planners long before construction begins – and continue to provide advice and guidance until the development is complete.
SBD Design Guides
SBD has produced a series of authoritative Design Guides to assist the building, design and construction industry to incorporate security into developments to comply with the Building Regulations in England, Scotland and Wales and meet the requirements of SBD.
These Design Guides, available to download for free at the SBD website, have been updated over the years to keep pace with changing patterns of criminal behaviour and advances in building design and new technology.
They are a valuable source of reference to architects, developers, self-builders, local authority planners and police officers and cover a range of building sectors, including residential, education, health, transport and commercial.
Interactive 3D Design Guide
SBD also has a 3D virtual toolkit for planners, architects, surveyors and anyone involved with designing, building and commissioning developments. Located on the SBD website, it helps to build an understanding of security in developments and highlight best practice solutions. The interactive guides available in this toolkit are based on SBD’s residential, commercial and schools guides.
A series of scenarios, such as the layout of communal spaces, use of lighting, perimeter security and landscape planting, highlight the design decisions that could increase the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour. Each scene has an alternative solution detailing the relevant standards recommended by SBD and the police service.
National Building Approval
SBD’s National Building Approval (NBA) scheme makes it easier for companies and organisations commissioning new build developments or major refurbishment work to meet SBD’s police security standards or achieve Building Regulation compliance for security in England, Scotland and Wales, whichever is appropriate. The scheme can apply to any building sector.
NBA is for developers, builders and contractors, as well as organisations like local authorities, housing associations and social landlords. Many of SBD member companies are household name residential developers, with one of the largest local authorities in Europe becoming the first local authority to join the scheme in 2018.
Architects and town planners
Architects and town planners can request a professional development session on crime prevention and designing out crime from SBD.
The presentation content includes relevant legislation, policy and guidance; an overview of property crime trends; an evaluation of why crime occurs and an introduction to SBD.
Product-based accreditation scheme
SBD has worked with businesses, the construction industry and standards authorities at home and abroad for many years, leading SBD to develop a product-based police accreditation scheme over 20 years ago – the Police Preferred Specification.
Products that have met the Police Preferred Specification provide reassurance to the specifier, purchaser or user that the products have been independently tested to a relevant security standard and fully certified by an independent third-party certification body recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), or tested and certified by an alternative approved body such as Sold Secure or Thatcham.
The SBD focus is on the critical factors that combine to deliver a product’s performance – design, use, quality control and the ability to deter or prevent crime. Better quality means these products last longer too, making them more cost-effective and leading to greater sustainability in crime prevention.
*Please note: This is a commercial profile.Â
Julian Hurst
Press & PR Manager
Secured by Design
Tel: +44 203 8623 999
Twitter:Â @securedbydesign
LinkedIn:Â Secured by Design
