SPOKANE – No matter where you live, crime prevention is a key to community safety. How does design fit in the mix and help us stay ahead of the crime? The Design Institute at Washington State University Spokane is hosting “”Designing Products Against Crime: A Think Thief Orientation,” a lecture that will address those questions and give a few tips on planning a community to stay ahead of
crime.
Paul Ekblom, professor and co-director of Design Against Crime Research Centre at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London will discuss the strategy of designing against crime Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 4-6 p.m. on the Riverpoint Campus in the Academic Center room 20 at 600 N Riverpoint Blvd. He will follow his lecture with a discussion panel incorporating WSU design and criminal justice graduate students to help answer questions.
“Ekblom’s research in how crime can be reduced by strategically designed objects is an excellent example of how interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge can improve the design of the environments we live in,” said David Wang, professor of architecture at WSU Spokane.
An established figure in the worlds of police and crime prevention, Ekblom was instrumental in developing the United Kingdom’s cutting-edge crime control and prevention strategy. His research areas include the design of products, places and systems against crime, disorder, drug abuse and terrorism. His work integrates design with crime science to help manage and improve the practice of crime prevention.
“Ekblom’s work is an excellent example of the importance of interdisciplinary research and study,” said Bryan Vila, professor of criminal justice at WSU Spokane. The campus community and public are invited to attend this lecture free of charge. Event parking is available at meters or a pass can be purchased through Parking Operations in the South Campus Facility behind the Bookie at 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Ekblom’s lecture is the second in a series of three lectures that make up the Design Research Spring Lecture Series. The next lecture features Kenn Daratha, assistant professor in the College of Nursing at WSU, who will address the built environment and public health on March 18.
