CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED) HAS DEVELOPED INTO AN IMPORTANT SUBAREA OF CRIMINOLOGY. STUDENTS OF CPTED APPEAR TO FOLLOW A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. IN THE THEORETICAL MODEL OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT, SEVEN PROPOSITIONS ARE OFFERED: (1) INDIVIDUALS EXIST WHO ARE MOTIVATED TO COMMIT SPECIFIC OFFENSES; (2) GIVEN THE MOTIVATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO COMMIT AN OFFENSE, THE ACTUAL COMMISSION OF AN OFFENSE IS THE END RESULT OF A MULTISTAGE DECISION PROCESS THAT SEEKS OUT AND IDENTIFIES, WITHIN THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT, A TARGET OR VICTIM POSITIONED IN TIME AND SPACE; (3) THE ENVIRONMENT GENERATES MANY SIGNALS OR CUES ABOUT ITS PHYSICAL, SPATIAL, CULTURAL, LEGAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS; (4) AN INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATED TO COMMIT A CRIME USES CUES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT TO LOCATE AND IDENTIFY TARGETS OR VICTIMS; (5) AS EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE GROWS, AN INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATED TO COMMIT AN OFFENSE LEARNS WHAT INDIVIDUAL CUES, CLUSTERS OF CLUES, AND SEQUENCES OF CUES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH 'GOOD' TARGETS OR VICTIMS; (6) ONCE THE TEMPLATE IS ESTABLISHED, IT BECOMES RELATIVELY FIXED AND INFLUENCES FURTHER SEARCHING BEHAVIOR, THEREBY BECOMING SELF-REINFORCING; AND (7) BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLICITY OF TARGETS AND VICTIMS, MANY POTENTIAL CRIME SELECTION TEMPLATES CAN BE CONSTRUCTED. CRIMINALS DO NOT MOVE RANDOMLY THROUGH THEIR ENVIRONMENT; RATHER, TARGET AND SITE SELECTION PROCEDURES PRODUCE CLEAR SPATIAL PATTERNS. THE THEORETICAL MODEL OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR CAN BE USED TO EXPLORE BOTH HIGH-AFFECT AND LOW-AFFECT CRIMES. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)