Dr Rachel Armitage

Qualifications: BSc, PhD.

Rachel has worked within the field of community safety and criminology since 1998. In 2005 she joined the Applied Criminology Centre (University of Huddersfield) following three years as a Senior Consultant for Nacro and one year as a Senior Research Fellow at the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science. In 2010 she was appointed Reader in Criminology and Deputy Director of the Applied Criminology Centre at the University of Huddersfield. She has published extensively on the subject of designing out crime – specifically the UK Secured by Design award scheme, and in 2005 she was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for her thesis on Secured by Design - An investigation of the history, current application and potential refinements of the Secured by Design scheme.

Rachel has recently managed a prestigious Home Office project to update the evidence base on the impact of residential design on crime and is currently working on a project to develop Abu Dhabi’s planning guidance on crime prevention through environmental design. Rachel is currently co-editing a special edition of the Built Environment journal on International Perspectives on Planning for Crime Prevention. She is also writing a book (due for publication in 2013) on the impact of residential design on crime.

Research Interests

• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
• Situational Crime Prevention
• Terrorism
• CCTV and Surveillance
Designing out Crime

Selected Research Projects

• Evaluating CCTV in Sydney, Australia
• Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council: The Preparation of Abu Dhabi Safety and Security Planning Manual
• Residential Design and Crime Briefing Notes
• The Role of Crime Reduction Advisors in Greater Manchester
• Residential Design and Crime - Home Office and CABE
• National Police Crime Prevention Service Evaluation
• Re-Evaluating Secured by Design in West Yorkshire - Ten Years On
• Security Versus Sustainability
• GMP Architectural Liaison Service Evaluation
• Guns and Gangs
• Project MARC

Publications in press

(For a list of published outputs see research outputs)

• Armitage, R. and Monchuk, L (Eds.) (Due to be published Dec 2012). International Perspectives on Planning for Crime Prevention. Special Edition of Built Environment Journal.
   
• Armitage R. (in press, due for publication 2013) Crime Prevention through Housing Design: Policy and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan: Crime Prevention and Security Management Book Series.
   
• Armitage, R., Pease, K. and Rogerson, M (in press, due to be published Dec 2012) What is good about good design? Exploring the link between housing quality and crime. Built Environment (International Perspectives on Planning for Crime Prevention).
   
• Armitage, R., Ekblom, P., and Monchuk, L. (in press, due to be published Dec 2012) Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in the Middle East – A Suitable Case for Re-Orientation? Built Environment (International Perspectives on Planning for Crime Prevention).

Selected Conference Presentations

• Yes, No, Definitely, Maybe! What Works in Designing out Crime from Residential Housing, and What are the Implications for Policy and Practice? The University of Sydney – Comparative Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Conference, Sydney, Australia, 24 January, 2012.
   
• Armitage, R. (2011) Benchmarking: A Review of International Policy and Practice in Planning for Crime Prevention. Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Abu Dhabi, 20-22 June, 2011
   
• Monchuk, L and Armitage, R (2011) Re-evaluating Secured by Design. Paper presented to the Homes and Community Agency Conference, Leeds, UK, 11 March, 2011
   
• Monchuk, L and Armitage, R (2009) Reconciling Security with Sustainability: The Challenge for Eco-Homes. 9th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 9 – 12 September, 2009
   
• Armitage, R and Monchuk, L (2009) 1999 to 2009: Re-evaluating Secured by Design Ten Years On. International Design Out Crime Conference, Perth, Australia, 2-4 December, 2009
   
• Armitage, R. (Jan 2009) Re-evaluating Secured by Design in West Yorkshire: Ten Tears On - Architectural Liaison Officer’s Conference, Nottingham, January 2009
   
• Armitage, R. (April 2006) Predicting and Protecting: Measuring the Risk of Theft of Electronic Products. The Theft of Electronic Products: Risks and Remedies, BT Conference Centre, London, 19th and 20th April 2006.
   
• Armitage, R., and Moss, K. (2001) Why Design out Crime? Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis Conference, Liverpool, June 2001.
   
• Armitage, R. (2001) Evaluation of Secured by Design – Update – Architectural Liaison Officer’s Conference, Blackpool, May 2001.
   
• Armitage, R. (2000) An Evaluation of Secured by Design Housing in West Yorkshire - American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Francisco, November 2000.
   
• Armitage, R. (2000) Evaluation of Secured by Design Housing in West Yorkshire - Architectural Liaison Officer's Conference, Harrogate, May 2000.
   
• Armitage, R. (2000) Evaluation of Secured by Design Housing in West Yorkshire - Environmental Design and its Relationship to Crime - A Debate at New Scotland Yard, February 2000.

2013

Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Ekblom, P. and Roach, J. (2013) ‘Holding the line: The sustainability of police involvement in crime prevention ’. In: The Future of Policing. London, UK: Routledge. . ISBN 978-0-415-82162-9

Armitage, R (2013) ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design’. In: Encyclopaedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. London: Springer. . ISBN 978-1-4614-5691-9

Ekblom, P., Armitage, R., Monchuk, L. and Castell, B. (2013) ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in the United Arab Emirates: A Suitable Case for Reorientation? ’ Built Environment , 39 (1), pp. 92-113. ISSN 02637960

Armitage, R (2013) ‘Consideration for crime prevention within the planning system: Responding to changes in policy and practice within England and Wales’. In: Conference Proceeding of 6th Ajman International Urban Planning Conference – City and Security. : . . ISBN 978-0-956374

Armitage, R., Rogerson, M. and Pease, K. (2013) ‘What is good about good design? Exploring the link between housing quality and crime’ Built Environment , 39 (1), pp. 140-161. ISSN 02637960

Armitage, R (2013) Crime Prevention through Housing Design: Policy and Practice . Crime Prevention and Security Management . : Palgrave Macmillan .

2012

Armitage, R (2012) ‘Introduction: Planning for Crime Prevention: A Comparative Perspective’ Built Environment , 37 (4). ISSN 0263-7960

Batley , R., Rogerson, M., Johnson , D., Chintakayala , P., Nellthorp , J., Wardman , M., Hirschfield, A., Newton, A., Shires , J., Monchuk, L., Armitage, R. and Sharratt, K. (2012) Evaluating measures to improve personal security and the value of their benefits Rail Safety and Standards Board

Armitage, R (2012) ‘Let’s be brave! Making the transition from research to reality’. In: Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Products. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. . ISBN 978-1-58826-813-6

2011

Smithson, H., Monchuk, L. and Armitage, R. (2011) ‘Gang Member: Who Says? Definitional and Structural Issues’. In: Youth Gangs an International Perspective: Tales from the Eurogang Program of Research. London: Springer. pp. 53-68. ISBN 978-1-4614-1658-6

Armitage, R (2011) Assessing the Impact of Residential Design on Crime: A Guide to Conducting Case Studies Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield (Unpublished)

Armitage, R (2011) The Impact of the Design and Layout of Car Parking on Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield (Unpublished)

Armitage, R (2011) The Impact of Connectivity and Through-Movement within Residential Developments on Levels of Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield (Unpublished)

Armitage, R. and Monchuk, L. (2011) ‘Sustaining the crime reduction impact of designing out crime: Re-evaluating the Secured by Design scheme 10 years on ’ Security Journal , 24 (4), pp. 320-343. ISSN 0955-1662

Armitage, R (2011) ‘Introduction: A New Look at Environmental Crime’ European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research , 17 (2), pp. 83-85. ISSN 0928-1371

Monchuk, L. and Armitage, R. (2011) ‘1999 to 2009: Re-evaluating Secured by Design (SBD) Housing in West Yorkshire’. In: HCA Design Forum North East, Yorkshire and The Humber: Designing out Crime , 11 March 2011 , Leeds

Armitage, R., Monchuk, L. and Rogerson, M. (2011) ‘It Looks Good, but What is it Like to Live There? Exploring the Impact of Innovative Housing Design on Crime’ European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research , 17 (1), pp. 29-54. ISSN 0928-1371

2010

Monchuk, L. and Armitage, R. (2010) ‘1999 to 2009: Re-Evaluating Secured by Design (SBD) Housing in West Yorkshire ’. In: National ALO/CPDA Training Event, 26-28 January 2010, Nottingham

2009

Armitage, R. and Monchuk, L. (2009) ‘1999 to 2009: Re-evaluating Secured by Design Ten Years On’. In: Proceedings of iDOC'09 'What's Up Doc' International Design Out Crime Conference. Perth, Western Australia: Design Out Crime Research Centre. . ISBN 9781876394189

Armitage, R. and Monchuk, L. (2009) ‘Reconciling Security with Sustainability: The Challenge for Eco-Homes’ Built Environment , 35 (3), pp. 308-327. ISSN 02637960

Monchuk, L. and Armitage, R. (2009) ‘Reconciling Security with Sustainability: The Challenge for Eco-Homes’. In: 9th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, 9–12 September 2009, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Armitage, R. and Gamman, L. (2009) ‘Sustainability via Security: A New Look’ Built Environment , 35 (3), pp. 297-301. ISSN 02637960

Armitage, R. and Brooke , M. (2009) ‘Re-evaluating Secured by Design housing in West Yorkshire: 1999 – 2009’. In: Architectural Liaison Officer’s Conference, January 2009, Nottingham

2008

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Annex 2: Birmingham, prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Annex 3: Croydon, prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Annex 4: Guildford, prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Final Report prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Technical Annex prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Annex 5: Nottingham, prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Hirschfield, A., Armitage, R., Rogerson, M., Monchuk, L. and Wilcox, A. (2008) Evaluation of Licensing Act: Measuring Crime and Disorder in and around Licensed Premises, Research Study SRG/05/007 Annex 1: Blackpool, prepared for the Home Office University of Huddersfield

Newton, A., Armitage, R., Hirschfield, A., Monchuk, L., Rogerson, M., Wilcox, A. and Hunter, G. (2008) The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: Key Findings of the Guildford Case Study, prepared for the Home Office King's College London

Newton, A., Armitage, R., Hirschfield, A., Monchuk, L., Rogerson, M., Wilcox, A. and Jacobson, J. (2008) The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: Key Findings of the Birmingham Case Study, prepared for the Home Office King's College London

Newton, A., Armitage, R., Hirschfield, A., Monchuk, L., Rogerson, M., Wilcox, A. and Jacobson, J. (2008) The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: Key Findings of the Blackpool Case Study, prepared for the Home Office King's College London

Newton, A., Armitage, R., Hirschfield, A., Monchuk, L., Rogerson, M., Wilcox, A. and Hunter, G. (2008) The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: Key Findings of the Croydon Case Study, prepared for the Home Office King's College London

Jacobson, J., Newton, A., Armitage, R., Hirschfield, A., Monchuk, L., Rogerson, M. and Wilcox, A. (2008) The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Levels of Crime and Disorder: Key Findings of the Nottingham Case Study, prepared for the Home Office King's College London

2007

Armitage, R (2007) ‘Sustainability Versus Safety: Confusion, Conflict and Contradiction in Designing out Crime’. In: Imagination for Crime Prevention: Essays in Honour of Ken Pease. Boulder, CO : Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 81-110. ISBN 978-1-881798-70-5

Armitage, R. and Smithson, H. (2007) ‘Alley-gating revisited: the sustainability of resident's satisfaction ’ Internet Journal of Criminology .

Armitage, R. and Pease, K. (2007) ‘Predicting and Preventing The Theft Of Electronic Products’ European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research , 14 (1), pp. 12-37. ISSN 1572-9869

Smithson, H. and Armitage, R. (2007) ‘What role for street crime wardens?’ Community Safety Journal , 6 (2), pp. 22-31. ISSN 1477-5883

Armitage, R. and Pease, K. (2007) ‘Design and Crime: Proofing Electronic Products and Services against Theft’ European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research , 14 (1), pp. 1-9. ISSN 1572-9869

2006

Armitage, R (2006) ACPO Alley-gating Guide 2005/06 Huddersfield, UK: Association of Chief Police Officers (Submitted)

Armitage, R (2006) ‘Predicting and Preventing: Developing a Risk Assessment Mechanism for Residential Housing’ Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal , 8 (3), pp. 137-149. ISSN 1460-3780

2004

Armitage, R (2004) Secured by design - an investigation of its history, development and future role in crime reduction. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield.

2003

Armitage, R. and Everson, S. (2003) ‘Building for Burglars?’ Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal , 5 (4), pp. 15-25. ISSN 1460-3780

2002

Armitage, R (2002) ‘Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour: What Really Works’ Nacro Briefing Note .

Armitage, R (2002) ‘To CCTV or not to CCTV?: A review of current research into the effectiveness of CCTV systems in reducing crime’ Nacro Briefing Note .

2000

Armitage, R (2000) ‘An Evaluation of Secured by Design Housing within West Yorkshire’ Home Office Briefing Note , 7/00, pp. 1-4.

1999

Armitage, R., Smyth, G. and Pease, K. (1999) ‘Burnley CCTV Evaluation’. In: Surveillance of public space : CCTV, street lighting and crime prevention. New York: Criminal Justice. pp. 225-250. ISBN 9781881798224

Editorial Boards

• Member of the Editorial Board for Security Journal (Palgrave Macmillan).
• Member of the Editorial Board for European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research (Springer).

Editing Journals

• Editor (with Prof. Ken Pease) of Special Edition of European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research - Design and Crime: Proofing Electronic Products and Services against Theft (2007).
• Editor (with Prof. Lorraine Gamman) of Special Edition of Built Environment Journal - Security Versus Sustainability: Aligning the Two Agendas (2009).
• Editor of Special Edition of European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research - A New Look at Environmental Crime (2010).
• Editor (with Leanne Monchuk) of Special Edition of Built Environment Journal – International Perspective on Planning for Crime Prevention (2012).

External Examining

• External examiner for Crime Science Programme degrees (2010 – present): Northumbria University.
• External examiner Foundation degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice – Lancaster University (Blackpool and The Fylde College) – September 2008 to present.
• External examiner BA Criminology and Criminal Justice – Lancaster University (Blackpool and The Fylde College) – September 2009 to present.

Peer Reviewing

• Evidence-Based Crime Prevention: The Effectiveness of CCTV. For:Security Journal (2003).
• A Critical Analysis of Design Against Crime: An Emerging Discourse within Situational Crime Prevention. For: British Journal of Criminology (2004).
• Alley-gates Theory and Practice – A Perspective from Urban South Wales. For:Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal (2006).
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in South Korea - CPTED as Socially Responsible Design.Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal (2008).
• Crime-proofing e-services legislation In: G. Farrell, P. Bakonyi, A. DiNicola (Eds.)Preventing Theft and Misuse of Electronic Services (2008).
• Evaluating CCTV: Why the findings are inconsistent, inconclusive and ultimately irrelevant. For: Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal (2010).
• A design against crime intervention to reduce violence in the night-time economy. For: Security Journal (2010).
• When intervention is a load of rubbish: evaluating the impact of ‘clean-up’ operations. For: Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal (2011).
• The influence of physical property and property surrounding characteristics on day-and-night-time burglary. For: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (2012).

Committee/Group Membership

• Member of CEN/BT/WG161 Expert Group on the Reduction of Crime Risk in Products and Services (2005-2007).
• Member of School Board 2006-2008 (School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield).
• Member of Thames Valley Police Force Permeability Working Group (March 2006-2008).
• Member of Research Governance Working Group 2012 – present (School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield).

Keynote Speaker

• Yes, No, Definitely, Maybe! What Works in Designing out Crime from Residential Housing, and What are the Implications for Policy and Practice? The University of Sydney – Comparative Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Conference, Sydney, Australia, 24 January, 2012.

PhD Supervision Past and Present

• PhD Supervisor Vicky Heap (ESRC CASE full time studentship - Understanding perceptions of anti-social behaviour: problems and policy responses (complete).
• PhD Supervisor Jennifer Thomas (University of Huddersfield funded full-time studentship) - The Impact of Innovations in Ballistic Science on Investigations of Gun Crime (complete).
• PhD Supervisor (Director of Studies) Leanne Monchuk (University of Huddersfield funded part-time studentship) – Designing out Crime: The Manchester Model (present).
• PhD Supervisor Max Mclean (University of Huddersfield fee waiver full-time studentship) - Open (and Narrative) verdicts at Coroners Court: an assessment of common features and lessons for police investigators (present).
• PhD Supervisor Lauren Wray (self funding -full time studentship) - An analysis of the policing of domestic terrorism in the UK with reference to the role of the police and the police officer (present).
• PhD Supervisor (Director of Studies) Catherine Smyth (University of Huddersfield full-time Professional Doctorate) – title to be confirmed (present).

Potential PhD Supervision

• Reconciling security with sustainability: The challenge for eco-homes.
• Designing out anti-social behaviour: What impact can designing out crime have on anti-social behaviour and youth disorder?
• Turning out the lights: Assessing the impact of street lighting on crime and disorder.
• Mixed tenures in residential housing: Assessing the impact of ‘pepper potting’ tenures on crime and disorder.
• Can designing out crime reduce crimes within and against NHS premises.

• Signed on MoU with Sydney Institute of Criminology, University of Sydney, Australia.
• Work closely with West Yorkshire Police including research using CVF funds.
• Work closely with Greater Manchester Police including research using CVF funds.

• Member of School of Human and Health Sciences Research Governance Working Group/
• Manage three staff: Leanne Monchuk (research assistant), Kathryn Sharratt (research assistant) and Kris Christmann (research fellow).

• Module HFB2001- Academic study skills for social scientists ((BSc Criminology).
• Module HID1011- Research Processes and Methods for Criminology (BSc Criminology).
• Module HHB 1035 – Key Issues in Criminology (BSc Criminology).
• Module HHB1038 - Supervision of students for Final Year Project (BSc Criminology).

• Internal moderation roles including presentation given by the first year students on Introduction to Criminology (HFB1010) and moderating a sample of 20 Final Year Projects for Module HHB1038.