Vol.:(0123456789) SN Soc Sci (2021) 1:70 https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00075-z ORIGINAL PAPER Do access control features reduce perceived risk of property victimisation? Insights from residential neighbourhoods in Sekondi‑Takoradi, Ghana Louis Kusi Frimpong 1 Received: 26 September 2020 / Accepted: 31 January 2021 / Published online: 1 March 2021 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature 2021 Abstract Providing adequate safety and security for urban residents in major cities in Ghana has been a major challenge for local and national authorities. To enhance safety and reduce both actual and perceived risk to criminal victimisation, urban residents have resorted to the use of access control features such as fences, barbed wires, and burglar alarms to reduce their risk to property crimes. This study sought to exam- ine whether access control features within building properties have any signifcant efect on the perceived risk of theft and burglary victimisation in selected neigh- bourhoods in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. The study draws from a survey con- ducted in three residential neighbourhoods in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis and key informant interviews conducted with selected stakeholders. Survey results were analysed using binary logistic regression and integrated with the qualitative data. Findings from the study reveal that while certain access control features may pro- vide the minimum safety precautionary measures in some neighbourhoods, the use of others could also be regressive and have a negative efect on residents’ perceived risk to criminal victimisation. The study recommends a context-specifc solution to addressing risk concerns to property victimisation in various neighbourhoods con- sidering other structural problems in these neighbourhoods. Keywords Theft · Burglary · Access control · Residential neighbourhoods · Sekondi-takoradi * Louis Kusi Frimpong kusilouis@gmail.com 1 Department of Geography and Earth Science, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana