Links

Oh yes... this arborist is still trying to define his role in all this CPTED stuff

The Role of the Arborist  

Arborists will have to respond differently when called upon to work on a landscape intended to support CPTED, compared to a regular work request. An arborist must realize that one property is actually a collection of smaller distinct spaces. The arborist should communicate with the property owner/manager and the local police officer in order to understand the purpose of each space. The arborist should also seek additional information from the individual that has proposed the CPTED recommendations (i.e. city planner, crime prevention specialist, or knowledgeable citizen). Once the arborist understands the purpose for each space and the role the landscape will play in supporting the CPTED strategy, it will then become the responsibility of the the arborist to perform the necessary inspections and maintenance.   

Caring for a CPTED landscape is different than caring for a typical residential or commercial landscape. Arborists usually work on landscapes to maintain the health and appearance of trees. When caring for a CPTED landscape, it is still important to maintain the health and appearance of trees, but an additional priority is added - the maintenance of trees to actively support the CPTED components (natural surveillance, access control, and territoriality). Here are a few of the services an arborist will be performing when caring for a CPTED landscape: 

1. Notify the property owner when existing trees need to be replaced. This will occur when trees:

   • reach the end of their useful productive lives.
   • are especially susceptible to insect, disease, nutrient or other abiotic disorders.
   • become to labor intensive to maintain.
     • The need for replacement indicate poor tree selection. When a replacement tree is being considered, it's imperative that an experienced arborist assist in the selection process. In fact, the arborist should be consulted during the earliest phases of design.
2. Perform pruning on an as needed basis to provide for natural surveillance, access control and territoriality. 
3. Perform necessary plant health care inspections and treatments to keep trees at their optimum health and appearance. Through a series of inspections throughout the growing season, the arborist can catch disorders soon enough to employ corrective actions. These inspections may include obtaining soil samples for laboratory analysis to determine the needed prescription fertilization. 
4. Inspect trees for hazardous conditions. If a tree has extensive internal decay or recently suffered storm damage, the tree may pose more of a threat to the public than potential criminals. 

In order for an arborist to perform these services, the entire client-arborist relationship will have to undergo change. Arborists are usually called upon to perform maintenance on a client's property every year or two. More often than not, the property owner seeks several bids and goes with the cheapest estimate. Since many states do not regulate the commercial field of arboriculture, the cheapest estimate often results in inferior work which may end up shortening the life, and damaging the structural integrity, of the trees.

In order for a CPTED landscape to work, there must be a season-long commitment between the property owner and arborist. After a thorough inspection of the property and briefing from the property owner and CPTED specialist, the arborist can recommend for a certain number of visits and services to be performed throughout the growing season to make sure the landscape continues to support the CPTED strategy. If the arborist lacks the necessary experience to suggest a season-long plan, a consulting arborist can be called upon to develop specifications. 

From the property owner's perspective, this season-long relationship with an arborist may seem expensive, but it is still cheap compared to experiencing crime. The expense should be viewed as any other investment in crime prevention measures (i.e. deadbolt locks, closed circuit television, and alarm systems) except a well designed and maintained landscape will not only improve the property value, but appreciate in value over time!     

"Spaces"
Communities are a collection of spaces. It's important to define the purpose of each space. Is the space perceived as being safe? How about at night? Your clients may not be familiar with this concept. Try to place them in a police officer's shoes. How does the police officer (or criminal) view your client's landscape?

Residential Landscape Evolution
Residential landscape often go through a predictable evolution of phases. After purchasing a property, new residents often rejuvenate their landscape (image to the right). Young homeowners are more likely to perform extensive renovations. However, if the homeowners fail to keep up with regular maintenance, their landscape soon outgrows the original purpose. Potential criminals can sometimes predict the age of homeowners based upon the age and condition of the landscape. With proper careful planning and plant selection, it is possible for homeowners with overgrown landscapes to start over and install a new low-maintenance landscape. 

Educate your clients...

• about the role of landscapes in crime prevention.
• so they can become aware of their "space" and re-evaluate if the landscape supports the purpose for that particular space.
• so you don't have to prune your way out of the client's poor plant selection.
• by recommending appropriate plant material and/or services
• and tell them to budget for maintenance
• don't overstate, or understate, the importance of the role of landscapes in crime prevention

Maintenance
Take care of those "broken windows" as soon as they appear. These broken windows include:

• gang symbols
• invasive species
• trash
• dead trees
• trees in need of a good crown cleaning, crown raising, etc

Pruning
For access control:

• remove climbing aids
• maintain hedges/entrance ways

For territoriality:

• as part of the general effort to maintain the appearance of the property

For natural surveillance:

• Ask everyone around you to remove "raising limb height" from their vocabulary and use terms like crown raising or vista pruning
• consider crown thinning to allow more light into a an area

Plant Selection

Get "Connected"

• What do your local ordinances say about mandatory limb heights on street trees
• Volunteer to help re-write or update ordinances concerning tree selection and pruning
• Volunteer to help local tree planting groups
• Join the Virginia Crime Prevention Association (see links)
• Get to know your local crime prevention officer