Council offering courses to reduce crime

Rotorua District Council (RDC) is offering local people the opportunity to learn from one of Australasia’s experts in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) next month.

Australia-based Tony Lake works at the International Security Management & Crime Prevention Institute in Brisbane and is running three one-day CPTED courses in Rotorua on 8, 9 and 10 March.

RDC community safety officer Amy Royston says CPTED is an approach to crime prevention based around looking at the environments we live, work and play in to see how the layout and design either supports or stops crime happening.

“Rotorua has seen a significant reduction in crime in recent years. We want to further support our community and build on these gains. Facilitating opportunities for professional development locally is one way council can support crime prevention.

“The good thing about Tony is that he’s not just a theorist. He uses the principles of CPTED in practice, and his presentation style is engaging and entertaining. People will leave the course knowing much more about how criminals think and how the environment can reduce the risk of crime.

Ms Royston says courses taught by Tony Lake often cost in excess of $900, but the three Rotorua programmes are being offered at $30 per person as a result of funding from the Ministry of Justice.

People interested in the courses could include retailers, tourism operators, accommodation providers, restaurant and bar owners, schools, community groups and anyone involved with community safety.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design one-day courses are being offered in Rotorua on 8, 9 and 10 March, with only 24 spots available on each day.

To register on a course, or for further information, contact Amy Royston on (07) 351 8172 or email amy.royston@rdc.govt.nz .