Clifton CC

Hope we have a Cliftonite amongst us who is in the employ of The Force!

Maybe then I can get an answer to some extraordinary ideas put forward by their Police colleagues!

No 1 delight, spotted in town on the Sheffield bike parking hoops. A new plaque has been attached to these, encouraging cyclist to lock their bike with TWO locks OF DIFFERENT TYPE with the stunning message: 'THIEVES RARELY CARRY TOOLS TO REMOVE BOTH TYPES'
Let's just hope that thieves are so thick they can't read and rush to better equip their toolkit!

No2 delight, story by The Force in The Press. 'Developers encourage crime on new housing developments by including pedestrian and cycling paths'.
So cycling is getting so popular that burglars are taking to bikes too. The really succesful ones presumably use the new-style Danish carrier bikes!

Message for Phil our Architect: Better not do doors and windows in buildings, or you'll be accused of aiding crime!

So that's the end of cop car chases then, now it's all pursuit on bikes: wonderful!

Willy, you're completely missing the point (I read the press article) - lots of pedestrian/cycle access routes into an estate make it easier for burglars to sneak in and get away. I live in New Earswick where we have the lot - pedestrianised streets, alleyways, snickets, cycle routes....and it's very nice, but it's also a magnet for people sneaking in and out to nick your bike with not a hope of anyone (i.e. passing traffic) spotting them.

It's of course a trade off - you could always live on a busy main road instead.

Well, what a laugh! Criminals never use cars, of course. Next the Department of Transport will be blamed for building roads, so helping criminals in their job!

Over 10 years or more at the University I had the same lame argument from the (then) so-called Security Manager, who opposed EVERY new path scheme at and to the University, quoting Police arguments! But some 1 1/2 kms were built, and now more than 20% of staff cycle to work SAFELY, and more than 800 staff and students use the Walmgate Stray path daily. There are also 2200 cycle parking spaces now, and are provided at a rate of 1 for every 2 students in residence, and 1 for every 3 staff and 1 for every 10 visitors.
He even went round University Security conferences telling his the same 'vandal and Tang Hall toe-rag' don't build cycle way stories!!!! What a way to promote a good society!
Gated communities, Rings of Steel are their answer to crime and the causes of crime!
But not where I come from!

Phil the Architect here.

Can't be ***ed to read The Press article (mainly because every time I read The Press I end up on a rant to the letters page) but it's a well-worn issue. It's a bit of what he said and a bit of what she said really. Us architects are always advised as part of the Secure By Design process to minimise "escape routes" which reduces permeability/accessibility of schemes. It's difficult; the recent scheme I did off Victoria Way was designed with a gate leading to a neighbouring play area. "Issues" with local young people resulted in the gate being pretty permanently locked, which simply resulted in the young people (and many others besides, I suspect) going over it instead.

But if you look at "Homezones" - the UK equivalent of Woonerfs in The Netherlands - they don't necessarily have footways/cycleways all over the place either - they just use design and community involvement to make the roads much, much more people-friendly. Of course they involve a bit of faith in human nature, and a risk of "mixing" pedestrians, cyclists and cars, and such risk-taking is rare in UK planning.

Overall it would be a great disservice to future generations if the design of our towns was based on reduced accessibility and richness of space in order to try to "design out" crime. I reckon a bit of a reduction in social inequality would do a better job, but there we're into tricky territory...

Don't all the police now have bikes too? They can engage in some high speed pursuit? Wasn't there an ex-pro mtb rider who did the high speed pursuit thing? I wouldn't mind a career change - High Speed Pursuit Cyclepaths Division HSPCD. What was that from the back - you've got to be fast to do high speed pursuit??

cath wrote:I live in New Earswick where we have the lot - pedestrianised streets, alleyways, snickets, cycle routes....and it's very nice, but it's also a magnet for people sneaking in and out to nick your bike..

Or laptop? http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/4780101 ... ck/?ref=mr
Interesting - they could have described him as 'Beanie-wearing', 'White' or even 'Teen-age'. But 'Cycling' wins through...