Dawn Carlson
Director of Community Programs
Power Inn Alliance
To show our district how easy and successful CPTED principles are, Power Inn Alliance promoted 2017 as “The Year of CPTED.” As a Property and Business Improvement District (PBID), our mission is to improve the economy, safety and cleanliness quality of life for 6.2 square miles in Sacramento, CA. In one year, approximately 80 CPTED site reviews were performed on existing properties.
Changing business practices of 1,100 property owners is no easy feat but we partnered with the Sacramento Police Department to take on the challenge! We began hosting CPTED basics classes, and offering CPTED tips in our newsletter and website. Our goal is to inspire change and bring new life to this heavily industrial district.
CPTED is also the foundation for our Good Neighbor Accountability Program. Different sections of the PBID have varying issues that cause tension among neighbors. CPTED reviews are performed on each respective property. Following the individual properties’ audits, Alliance staff convenes the neighbors to review findings. Each property is given a list of improvements, so everyone has a responsibility, creating a sense of cooperation and accountability. Neighbors then mark off all the tasks they have completed using a program called SmartSheets. We chose SmartSheets for its sharing capabilities, visibility, and easy-to-use online application. Each neighborhood has their own SmartSheet workspace with neighbor contacts, recommended CPTED actions, and a page they can share crime and suspicious activities.
Additionally, the area will be home to many of the city’s cannabis-related businesses, so the Alliance is using CPTED principles in our recommended conditions for every Conditional Use Permit application. These recommendations are being incorporated into each new business’ plan so we anticipate seeing many improvements in our district this coming year.
“The Year of CPTED” was so successful that we have continued the proactive effort into 2018.
For more information, please contact Dawn Carlson at dawn@powerinn.org.
