Secured By Design

F.A.Q.

Q. How is Secured by Design Funded? Is it via the tax payer?

A. No. Secured by Design is a not for profit organisation that is funded via our Licensed members scheme. Money is spent on crime prevention research and education. We do not take any public funding

Q.What should I do if I see a company using your logo who isn’t listed on your site?

A. Many of our member companies do not directly sell to the general public. They will re-sell onto installers or retailers who then sell to you. They should stipulate which member company they buy their products from and should even be able to supply the certificate from that member company whose details should be listed on our site. If they can not provide this information and are still claiming it is a Secured by Design licensed product please let us know as this is logo misuse, something we take seriously and always take action to.

Q. Who should I contact if I want advice on my planning application?

A. You will need to contact the Crime Prevention Design Advisor in the Police force local to the development. You can find their details here

Q. Is there a fee for seeking the advice of the Crime Prevention Design Advisor for achieving the Secured by Design award?

A. No. There are no charges for our advice or the award.

Q. Will the Secured by Design award to houses suggest they are built in a high crime area?

A. No, the police service is often asked for security advice by home owners in low crime areas. It is common sense prevention and insurance companies will expect it. House purchasers know they need a good lock on the front door wherever they purchase. Research shows that Secured by Design estates experience far less crime and disorder than non-Secured by Design estates. Secured by Design applies quality standards to a range of security measures and should be a positive selling point.

Q. On a long term development site do I have to renew my Secured by Design certificate every year?

A. No, once the award is made it remains valid unless the developer departs from the agreed specification and falls below the SBD standard. Therefore once the show-house is built the estate may be advertised as SBD compliant.

Q. What is a Crime Prevention Design Advisor?

A. The Crime Prevention Design Advisor (CPDA) is a specialist crime prevention officer, trained in crime prevention and designing out crime. They deal with crime risk and designing out crime advice for the built environment. In addition to physical security measures the officer will consider defensible space, access, crime and movement generators all of which can contribute to a reduction in crime and disorder.

Q. What is the Architectural Liaison Officers role?

A. This is the same as the Crime Prevention Design Advisor and is the title given to the same role in some police forces.

Q. What is "Designing out Crime"

A. Designing out crime deals with concepts of reducing anonymity of the offender, territoriality - the relationship between private space and public space, environmental design and physical security measures. Offenders feel more vulnerable in private space and adjoining public spaces can feed off this reaction making it appear that potential crime targets in the public area are under the control of residents. This empowerment of residents is sometimes called defensible space.

Q. Does Secured by Design ask for CCTV?

A. No, SBD recommends multi-occupancy buildings have access control on the main entrance with a camera monitor link to each flat so residents can choose who enters. A reasonable solution given the fear strangers can cause. CCTV is not a requirement, but where there is a specific high risk, such as underground parking, it must be monitored. Some Police forces might ask for it as part of a specific application but this is to do with an identified local crime risk.