Property Safety – Best Practices for Landscaping

Feeling safe at home is a major component to quality of life. Thankfully, most of us don’t think about property safety on a daily basis but it can only take one instance of crime such as theft, vandalism or assault to turn our once beloved home into a place which invokes bad memories. Whether you live in a single family home in the suburbs, an apartment or condominium building downtown or a sprawling ranch, criminals may consider your home an attractive target if you do not take measures to deter them. For those who manage residential or commercial properties, the safety of your customers or tenants should be your absolute number one priority. Nothing can encourage potential shoppers or residents from looking elsewhere more than crime or even the perception of being unsafe. In America, roughly 50% of the population lives in rental properties and around 70% of police service calls are dispatched to shared living buildings. We’re all aware that no matter where you live, bad things can happen. Luckily there is much you can do to mitigate that risk. Using best practices for landscaping and lighting is one excellent way to deter criminals and are major components of many property safety programs throughout the country.

Crime Free Housing

Many law enforcement agencies support programs in their local communities to decrease crime and increase property safety. The Crime Free Housing program in Savannah, GA addresses both the rules and regulations tenants must adhere to in order to live in designated properties as well as physical design elements for the properties themselves. There are nearly 20 properties in and around Savannah and Chatham county that have been certified. Requirements include:

• Criminal history checks on prospective tenants
• Tenants must sign behavioral agreements
• Public records are shared between law enforcement and property managers regarding service calls to the property or tenant arrests
• Property must adopt Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles including strategic landscaping and proper lighting to enhance property safety

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

In order for crime to take place, there are three essential elements: criminals, victims and opportunities. CPTED focuses on removing the opportunities that attract criminals in the first place. Homes should be comfortable, inviting (to legitimate users) and safe. Traditional security such as strong locks on windows and doors and security systems are surely important but landscape design and lighting can be more effective and less obtrusive than iron bars on windows and fences topped with razor wire.

• Natural Surveillance – keep non-legitimate users easily observable by developing open spaces and minimizing features which criminals can hide behind. Expansive landscaping such as large bushes, shrubs and ornamental trees can be aesthetically pleasing, but when it comes to safety – more is not always better. The more thick and tall foliage, the easier it is for criminals to conceal their presence.
• Three, Two, Five Rule: all bushes and shrubs should be trimmed down to three feet or up two feet, all tree canopies should be cut up to five feet.
• Territorial Reinforcement – create or extend the sphere of influence providing users the sense of territorial control. Particularly at residential properties, it is great to encourage a sense of ownership by residents. Not only will they be more likely to keep the grounds looking great but they will also be more likely to protect it by calling authorities when non-approved users are in the area or causing damage.
• Feeling safe at home is a major component to quality of life. Thankfully, most of us don’t think about property safety on a daily basis but it can only take one instance of crime such as theft, vandalism or assault to turn our once beloved home into a place which invokes bad memories. Whether you live in a single family home in the suburbs, an apartment or condominium building downtown or a sprawling ranch, criminals may consider your home an attractive target if you do not take measures to deter them.
• For those who manage residential or commercial properties, the safety of your customers or tenants should be your absolute number one priority. Nothing can encourage potential shoppers or residents from looking elsewhere more than crime or even the perception of being unsafe. In America, roughly 50% of the population lives in rental properties and around 70% of police service calls are dispatched to shared living buildings.

We’re all aware that no matter where you live, bad things can happen. Luckily there is much you can do to mitigate that risk. Using best practices for landscaping and lighting is one excellent way to deter criminals and are major components of many property safety programs throughout the country.

Crime Free Housing

Many law enforcement agencies support programs in their local communities to decrease crime and increase property safety. The Crime Free Housing program in Savannah, GA addresses both the rules and regulations tenants must adhere to in order to live in designated properties as well as physical design elements for the properties themselves. There are nearly 20 properties in and around Savannah and Chatham county that have been certified. Requirements include:

• Criminal history checks on prospective tenants
• Tenants must sign behavioral agreements
• Public records are shared between law enforcement and property managers regarding service calls to the property or tenant arrests
• Property must adopt Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles including strategic landscaping and proper lighting to enhance property safety

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

In order for crime to take place, there are three essential elements: criminals, victims and opportunities. CPTED focuses on removing the opportunities that attract criminals in the first place. Homes should be comfortable, inviting (to legitimate users) and safe. Traditional security such as strong locks on windows and doors and security systems are surely important but landscape design and lighting can be more effective and less obtrusive than iron bars on windows and fences topped with razor wire.

• Natural Surveillance – keep non-legitimate users easily observable by developing open spaces and minimizing features which criminals can hide behind. Expansive landscaping such as large bushes, shrubs and ornamental trees can be aesthetically pleasing, but when it comes to safety – more is not always better. The more thick and tall foliage, the easier it is for criminals to conceal their presence.
• Three, Two, Five Rule: all bushes and shrubs should be trimmed down to three feet or up two feet, all tree canopies should be cut up to five feet.
• Territorial Reinforcement – create or extend the sphere of influence providing users the sense of territorial control. Particularly at residential properties, it is great to encourage a sense of ownership by residents. Not only will they be more likely to keep the grounds looking great but they will also be more likely to protect it by calling authorities when non-approved users are in the area or causing damage.
• CPTED Golden Rule: if you paint it or plant it, you will defend it

• Natural Access Control – decrease crime opportunity by denying access to crime targets and creating a perception of risk for offenders. Install fences and landscaping to clearly indicate public routes and discouraging access to private areas.

• Thick ground cover such as Juniper with tangled vines or Cactus can be excellent deterrents.

• Lighting – the effectiveness of strategies taken in accordance with all property safety principles above can be amplified by proper illumination. Well lit areas will deter criminals and give customers a sense of security and confidence. Read more about lighting benefits, considerations and best practices here.

Learn More

• Contact your local police department to learn about safety programs in your area
• In Savannah, GA, Scpl.Tracy Walden of the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department provides periodic training programs throughout the year, she can be contacted at TWalden@savannahga.gov or 912.651.6653.
• Consult your landscape management professional to assess your property and see how they can maximize the safety of your grounds.

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CPTED Golden Rule: if you paint it or plant it, you will defend it

• Natural Access Control – decrease crime opportunity by denying access to crime targets and creating a perception of risk for offenders. Install fences and landscaping to clearly indicate public routes and discouraging access to private areas.

• Thick ground cover such as Juniper with tangled vines or Cactus can be excellent deterrents.

• Lighting – the effectiveness of strategies taken in accordance with all property safety principles above can be amplified by proper illumination. Well lit areas will deter criminals and give customers a sense of security and confidence. Read more about lighting benefits, considerations and best practices here.

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  Learn More

  • Contact your local police department to learn about safety programs in your area
  • In Savannah, GA, Scpl.Tracy Walden of the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department provides periodic training programs throughout the year, she can be contacted at

• TWalden@savannahga.gov or 912.651.6653.

• Consult your landscape management professional to assess your property and see how they can maximize the safety of your grounds.

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