The argument for the complete randomness of targets and victims is no longer plausible. For example, bar fights occur with greater frequency on weekend nights rather than on weekday afternoons, shoplifting occurs during a restricted set of hours in the day and more in some stores than others, theft in occupied hotel rooms generally happens during the daytime, and break-ins into vehicles in the garage can happen almost around the clock.
Theft is most likely to occur when security measures are inadequate, and the design of the hotel is inviting for criminals. No or poor CCTV coverage, poor lighting in the hotel garage or carpark, barriers to access residential floors, hidden spots, and no bollards for safety reasons to prevent a vehicle-borne attack are the signals criminals receive. While a sophisticated design concept becomes less attractive for criminals, opportunists will still try to take advantage of a busy environment. While some criminals love the challenges, others just cannot gauge the difficulties they face.
CPTED – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design plays an essential role in modern crime prevention. It is a delay tactic, a method of distraction, or a nuisance factor that can deter a criminal from committing a crime in a particular hotel property.
The key to success is to consider criminal behaviour and have knowledge of their daily routines. For example, criminals in specific environments commit crimes only at night and are therefore no risk during the day (know the enemy). Understanding crime requires concepts and models that can be used to account for the patterned non-uniformity and non-randomness that characterises real crime events.