CPTED (pronounced “sep-ted”) stands for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. It was developed in the 1970s from an earlier 1960s' concept for urban planning and renewal known as "defensible space." Since then, it has become more widely adopted by planners, architects, and security...

In a previous blog, I wrote about one way a courtroom proceeding could be held while still observing social distancing protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, I’ve come across other potential solutions that have been implemented by courts around the country. In this blog, I describe one...

Continuing my series on best design practices for police stations, let’s look at the first space, and likely the only space, most members of the public will use – the public lobby.

In a previous blog, I wrote about police interrogation rooms, which are sometimes called secure interview rooms and are used to meet with those in police custody. However, today’s police stations often contain another type of interview room called a witness or victim interview room. These spaces,...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most courthouses have been closed to the public, with only the most urgent proceedings being held in the building and the majority of judges and staff teleworking. But with states around the nation beginning to reopen, courts are developing plans to return to...