Big Interview – Kenny McHugh

July 3, 2023

Showhome Editor Joseph Clarke sits down with Kenny McHugh from Police Crime Prevention Initiatives to discuss the important work they are doing within the housing industry

How and why did Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) come together?

Secured by Design (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 Secured by Design to combat this.

In 1996 the Association of Chief Police Officers set up a not-for-profit organisation, self-funded through its prevention activities, to manage the Secured by Design scheme on a more professional basis. This company has evolved into the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) of today.

What are the main services offered by Police CPI?

Police CPI remains a not-for-profit Police owned organisation, self-funded through its prevention activities.

Police CPI now delivers a wide range of innovative and ground-breaking crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives to support the wider UK Police Service, Government and the general public. Secured by Design remains the most well-known of these initiatives.

Part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Prevention Coordination Committee, Police CPI maintains works closely with central government, manufacturers and companies involved in security products (within the UK and those in countries that supply the UK), standards authorities and key stakeholders such as Planners, Architects, Developers, Local Authorities, Housing Associations, academia and the public.

Senior police officers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland control and direct the work Police CPI carries out on behalf of the Police Service.

What role does the Police CPI have when it comes to residential and social housing developments?

SBD seeks to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit. 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.

Could you share with us one of Police CPI’s success stories within the newbuild industry?

More than 3,000 homes on 153 developments designed and built to incorporate SBD crime prevention techniques over the last 20 years into Kingdom Housing Association new homes in Fife, East Central Scotland, have experienced 87% fewer reported crimes compared to properties not similarly designed and protected, in a study conducted by Police Scotland.

The crimes included housebreaking and attempted housebreaking (the Scottish equivalent of burglary and attempted burglary in England), sneak in thefts (access through an insecure door to steal), and opening of Lockfast Places (usually vehicles, sheds or outbuildings/garages where the locking mechanisms are overcome).

Why is Secured by Design beneficial for developers?

Developers around the UK can achieve SBD awards for incorporating crime prevention measures and techniques into their developments in all kinds of building sectors, such as residential, education, health, transport, commercial, retail, sport and leisure. Indeed, SBD can be used as evidence to discharge third-party obligations under Part Q of Schedule 1 (Security) to the English Building Regulations, the Scottish Building Standard 4.13 (Security) and Welsh Building Regulations Part Q (Security – Dwellings).

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.

You have provided a Homes Guide for the design and construction of residential developments. What types of guidance could housebuilders/architects find in here?

Homes 2023, which has been designed to cater for the security of all new and refurbished homes including those for disabled and older people, incorporates the latest security standards, developed to address emerging criminal methods of attack, and includes references to the Building Regulations and other statutory requirements across the United Kingdom.

There have been some major changes from the Homes 2019 guide, with significant areas that have been changed including bicycle parking; doorsets and windows and their fitness for purpose (BS 6375); lift security (BS EN 81) and the introduction of PAS 24:2022.

The requirements and recommendations within this guide are based upon academically sound research findings that have proven SBD to deliver significant crime reductions and cost efficiency savings for a wide range of stakeholders including local authorities, housing associations, landlords, residents and the police service. The police service continually re-evaluates the effectiveness of SBD and responds to emerging crime trends and independent research findings, in conjunction with industry partners, as and when it is considered necessary and to protect the public from crime.

Where do you think the future of home security is heading when it comes to new build developments?

There is now a far greater awareness of the importance of building sustainable and inclusive communities, with Planning and Building Control regulations and security standards constantly being fine-tuned and updated.

There is a clear link between better health and lower crime, and properly designed neighbourhoods and secure homes create health benefits that improve people’s mental wellbeing and contribute to reduce crime. A fact that’s often forgotten is that sometimes fear of crime can be as debilitating to their quality of life as crime itself.

Anything else you would like to share?

Homes 2023 is one of a series of authoritative Design Guides that SBD has produced 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 – which include guides for Specialist & Supported Housing Schemes, Commercial developments, Educational developments and Self-Builds – are available to download for free at the SBD website. They 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.

Read more news and exclusive features in our latest issue here.