April 18th

By Mutt Mulligan

what does landscaping have to do with home safety? Find out here.

Did you know that proper landscaping can actually help keep intruders away? According to a recent report, plants, trees, rocks, fences and other elements work together to make a property more or less attractive to would-be criminals.

Proper landscaping can improve home safety.

Chuck Sczuroski, a senior trainer at the National Crime Prevention Council in Arlington, Va., is a retired police officer. Now he travels the country teaching “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.” The idea is that landscaping and site design can help with several areas of safety.

• Natural surveillance: keeping shrubs and bushes trimmed back so intruders don’t have anywhere to hide, for example. To ensure you can see clearly what’s happening outside your home, keep shrubs 2-3 feet high and low-hanging tree canopies no closer than 6-7 feet above the ground.
• Natural access control: this principal is all about discouraging criminals from coming onto the property and directing them away if they do. For instance, trees and shrubs that are planted too close to a house can offer easy access to upper-story windows, balconies and decks that are often left unlocked.
• Territorial reinforcement: establishing clear boundaries with a fence and landscape lighting sends a message that this particular area belongs to someone, so intruders should stay away.
• Image/maintenance: well-maintained landscape is an outward symbol of pride and concern, indicating to potential criminals that this property isn’t a good target.

What other ways have you used landscaping to increase the safety of your home or community? Share your ideas with us here or on the TurfMutt Facebook page.