UCL Department of Security and Crime Science

The Designing Out Crime Group (DOCG) is concerned with the design and development of products, policies, management systems and legislation which make crime, antisocial behaviour and terrorism less likely.

Research in this area includes assessing the role the design process has in effective crime prevention, environmental design studies and the crime risks involved with the design of administrative procedures such as waste management. Since 2001 DOCG has been awarded research grants totalling £818K, including two AHRC grants in collaboration with the University of the Arts London.

A substantial study on the design of electronic goods for the EU has also been completed, which resulted in a number of outputs and influenced the Home Office’s increasing policy interest in design and crime. The policy relevance of this work is illustrated in ‘Cracking Crime through Design’ published by the Design Council.

Other outputs include academic publications (e.g. Understanding Theft within Licensed Premises, Security Journal, 19(1), 1-19) a review of how to prevent bicycle theft (funded by the US Department of Justice), and a substantial JDI publication for practitioners on ‘Crime-free Housing in the 21st Century’ (Willan, 2005). A further publication, ‘Secure and Tranquil Travel’ (Willan, 2006), based on a comprehensive review of ‘what works’ in reducing crime and disorder on public transport, has been widely circulated to practitioners throughout the British Transport Police and Transport for London.

In 2007 the Home Office established a Design and Technology Alliance against Crime to specifically promote the design agenda chaired by the Home Secretary. Sebastian Conran leads the Alliance with Professor Gloria Laycock as Deputy Leader covering the crime agenda.

Dr Kate Bowers (Lead)
Professor Richard Wortley
Professor Gloria Laycock
Dr Shane Johnson
Lucia Summers
Barry Webb (Visiting)
Professor Ken Pease (Visiting)
Professor Ron Clarke (Visiting)