Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Joint guidance from Home Office and Local Government Association

While robbery is concentrated in particular parts of the country the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Home Office wish to encourage the practical application of proven solutions for every area. One such solution is ‘Privacy Space’ markings around Cash Machines. Research based upon the Manchester experience indicated that up to one in four street crime offences (robbery of the person and snatch theft) were geographically connected to a cash machine and that on introducing “Privacy Space” markings, offences reduced by 66% within 150m of the ATMs. This guidance documents gives recommendations for effective practice in introducing Privacy Spaces.

Title: Cash Machines - 'Privacy Space' Markings
Authors: Local Government Association & Home Office
Number of pages: 6
Date published: February 2007
Availability: Download full guidance document PDF 127Kb

The problem of street crime around ATMs

Analysis by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) found that up to one in every four street crime offences (robbery of the person and snatch theft) were geographically connected to ATMs in the Greater Manchester Police Area. The reasons for this are evident – potential victims are cash-rich upon leaving the ATM and offenders can also identify and profile victims for potential identity theft and future credit card fraud.

Offender and offence

Offenders have described robbing victims at ATMs using one of the following methods:

• standing close enough to the victim to see their pin number (known as ‘shoulder surfing’), later stealing their card from them and using it to make further withdrawals
• using accomplices to assess how much money has been withdrawn and then later stealing the cash from them in a location some distance away from the ATM
• ‘hustling’ the victim from behind, which involves standing directly behind the victim as they are about to make a withdrawal, ordering them not to turn around, displaying or threatening a weapon, then ordering them to withdraw a certain amount of cash and remain facing the wall while the offender escapes

Theory of personal defensible space

GMP attempted to tackle the problem using a situational crime prevention technique, based on the notion of ‘personal defensible space’. As victims of street crime around ATMs are seen as soft targets in soft locations, GMP decided that the creation of a personal space zone around an ATM might reduce the number of street crimes committed there, making the ATM user feel more comfortable and making it more difficult for an offender to maintain close contact with a potential victim. A personal space zone might increase the ATM user’s awareness of their surroundings, as well increase the awareness of other persons nearby (potential witnesses to any offence), making the area ‘offender hostile’.

Practice

GMP undertook a pilot study testing this theory, and three ATMs in a close proximity to one another in a high robbery area in South Manchester were selected. A 1m2 ‘box was painted on the floor directly outside the cash machine and the words ‘cash machine area’ were painted inside the box in yellow paint. A nearby ATM was left unmarked in order to test for any displacement, and the remaining 18 ATMs spread across the rest of the South Manchester area were also left unmarked.

Findings

Offences committed within 150 meters of each ATM between 20/12/02 and 30/06/03 were counted and compared with offences committed during the same period in the preceding year. GMP found that offences reduced by 66% within 150 metres of the three marked ATMs, and by 34% within 150 metres of the 18 unmarked ATMs, showing diffusion of benefit. The one ATM that had been left unmarked to test for displacement showed an increase in offences of 32%, suggesting displacement had occurred (note this particular ATM was in an area known for its drugs and stolen goods market which was felt to have contributed to the increase).

CCTV footage of users in the marked ATM zones suggested that in the majority of cases, the 1 metre ATM box was respected by users, who waited for their turn to use the machine and queued outside the box. People were also observed to look around themselves both before and after using the ATM, suggesting they were aware of their surroundings, which may or may not have been as a result of the ATM box.

Practical considerations

A number of considerations had to be made before GMP were able to mark the zones outside the three ATMs selected for the pilot study.

These included:

• Each local Planning and Highways Authority may need to make decisions on a case by case basis when ATM defensible space markings are being proposed for a particular ATM - However, in most situations it is likely to be the case that any markings on the pavement to delineate defensible space are not development under the Planning Acts and would therefore not require planning permission. Local Planning Authorities may be concerned about areas in sensitive townscapes for example conservation areas or areas in the setting of listed buildings where this would detract from visual amenity or make worse existing levels of visual clutter. The application of defensible space markings to listed buildings may require particular local discussion. Local Highways Authorities may be concerned about the potential negative impact on the quality of paving materials. They may also wish to ensure that the ATM markings do not conflict or confuse other pavement markings, for example disabled person’s tactile paving. However, all of these issues should be dealt with through good local partnership arrangements between the local authority, police, banks and the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Any decisions by the local authority on these matters will need to be made within the context of their obligations under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
• Discovering who actually owns the land outside the ATM machines - In some cases the land was on a public highway so the local authority needed to be engaged and encouraged to work in partnership. In other cases the bank owned the land but were happy to allow the ground to be marked once the potential benefit to their customers was explained.
• Involving the Architectural Liaison Officer and Crime Reduction Adviser - Both were required to support the project and were instrumental in securing the involvement of high street banks and gaining permission from the Local Authority.
• Materials used for marking ATM box - It cost approximately £75 to mark a box on the floor outside an ATM, but robustness of materials were potentially a problem as there was evidence of wear and tear at the pilot sites once they had been in place for a while.
• Design of the ATM box - Marked in yellow paint in 1m2 boxes with the words "cash machine privacy area". This can be adjusted if local environmental conditions require, and changes made to the wording, markings and possibly size. For example, London Borough of Hackney have created similar zones, with the words ‘ATM zone' written inside the box and diagonal stripes painted across it. Where conservation or aesthetics are an issue semi-circles rather than squares might be used or alternatively different coloured paving (at a cost of approx. £100).

Getting a copy

Download Cash Machines - 'Privacy Space' Markings from the LGA website PDF 127Kb

Last update: Monday, February 12, 2007