September 2025 Webinar Recap: CPTED for Schools
The US CPTED Association’s September webinar with Ben Crum and Paul Timms brought together more than 300 attendees from across the country. It was an engaging session that focused on how CPTED principles can strengthen safety in schools.
Ben and Paul walked through the core CPTED principles of natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance. They explained how simple design choices, like building layout, entrances, and visibility can shape behavior and make schools feel safer.
The slides also highlighted how student safety impacts learning. Even if a school never faces a major incident, issues like bullying, fights, and theft can disrupt education and affect the wider community. They also shared research showing that more than half of teenagers worry a shooting could happen at their school, proving that perception of safety is just as important as prevention.
Crimes on school grounds are not limited to classrooms. Parking lots, restrooms, and hallways are also common problem areas. This reinforced the idea that CPTED needs to be applied across the entire campus.
CPTED offers schools practical and cost effective ways to create safer spaces. When students feel secure, they can focus on learning, and the entire community benefits.
We invite you to download the presentation and look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming webinars!!
