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‘Flimsy’ design aids criminals: Home Office
FLIMSY modern designs are creating easy targets for criminals, the Home Office has warned.
Home Office minister Vernon Coaker, pictured, this week hired four of the most respected designers in the country to lobby businesses to be more crime-sensitive when designing products.
The crime specialists, professors from colleges in Westminster, will form the first Design and Technology Alliance, Mr Coaker announced on Tuesday.
David Kester, chief executive of the Design Council, Royal College of Art professor Jeremy Myerson, UCL professor Gloria Laycock, Central St Martins School of Art and Design professor Lorraine Gamman, have been chosen for the post.
Mr Coaker said: “Innovative design has played an important role in driving down crime overall by a third over the past decade. Much of the 51 per cent fall in vehicle crime in particular can be attributed to design improvements such as immobilisers and toughened glass
“I want to encourage business to accept as routine their responsibility to ensure products and services do not create new crime opportunities.
Examples of how design interventions have helped to reduce crime:
* Aircraft hijackings decreased from 70 to 15 per year in the 1970s after routine passenger and baggage screening was introduced.
* Chip and pin slashed credit card fraud at UK retailers in 2006 by 46 per cent.
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Burglary has reduced by 37 per cent in Liverpool since 5,000 gated alleys were introduced. |
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