The workshop was conducted by a professional security and crime prevention consultant from Australia, Mr Rick Draper, whose company carries out extensive crime prevention consultancy not only in Australia but also in Canada and countries in Europe. Mr Draper took the participants through various CPTED principles and all along showed them examples of their application in practice. Many states in Australia require that new projects have CPTED principles incorporated at the design stage and Mr Draper is often involved with local authorities back home, advising them on the strategies to limit the opportunity for crime.

While most of the 17 officers attending the course are serving crime prevention officers, there were also two officers from the Government Security Bureau and also Chief Inspector Paul Gordon from Railway District who applied to attend the course as he will be involved in discussions with the MTRC on the corporation's forthcoming infrastructure projects in the HKSAR.

Like other officers attending the workshop, CIP Gordon found the course useful and relevant to his current post and "particularly enjoyed the numerous real life examples from other countries which showed CPTED principles at work". He also considered that being taught to read architectural drawings was an "added bonus".

Superintendent (SP) Mark Medwecki, who sat in on some of the sessions, commented that while most officers attending found the material taught very new, the reality is that CPTED principles have been applied in Hong Kong for many years under the auspices of the CPB. While there may not be the scope or the need in Hong Kong to apply all the principles, many of the basic ideas such as access control, natural surveillance and target hardening have been applied to varying degrees by Government architects as well as those in the private sector.

Perhaps the best example is in public housing where CPB advised extensively on the design of modern housing blocks and those who remember the problems associated with the Mark I and II designs will appreciate just how far these designs have come in terms of reducing the opportunity for crime.

SP Medwecki concluded by saying that all police officers can benefit by understanding CPTED as there are many insights, which can help officers understand why crime occurs in some places and not others. "But," he added, "I would now like to run a similar workshop for the architects involved in large projects in Hong Kong since this would enhance CPTED awareness at the point where it is most needed."

The course participants particularly enjoy the numerous real life examples from other countries, which show CPTED principles at work