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May 25, 1999
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Enlightening daytime crime stats To the Editor of The News: One of your May 10 editorials, "Putting people back to work," proposed, in a single sentence, more street lights as a means to prevent crime in Indianapolis. The idea deserves full scrutiny, as does the quality of our lighting. Our faith in outdoor lighting begins early on. Bedroom night lights of infancy create mental associations between darkness and danger, as well as protection by lighting. Hollywood reinforces the notion, portraying most gore and violence at night. But U.S. Dept. of Justice crime reports reveal that daylight is the preferred venue for committing violent crimes. Law abiding people would be ashamed to be seen committing crime, but are criminals? A lengthy report to Congress on a University of Maryland study conducted for the National Institute of Justice found lighting's effect on crime inconclusive. It could not conclude whether criminals or victims are most served by lighting. Neither could a 1977 U.S. Justice Dept. study. Spotting an opportunity, committing a crime, and making an escape all require light. A May 13 Chicago Tribune article questioned that city's indiscriminate use of glaring street lighting. Chicagoan's fear is understandable considering the city's horrendous murder rate. Fear can effect judgement. A March 8, 1998 Associated Press article reported on a power blackout that had been affecting New Zealand's largest city, Auckland. "It's been almost a crime free zone," the report quoted Inspector John Mitchell. "The normal level of muggings, violence, fights, burglary and robbery have just not happened." Maybe the best anecdotal evidence comes from right here. For three years running Indianapolis has set new records for its number of outdoor lights, and murders. There is a critical difference between real protection and the perception of protection from crime. A false sense of security can lead to a lack of prudent caution. We should indeed make changes regarding our street lighting. Outdated, glaring designs called drop lens "cobra heads" that provide poor directional control are not being replaced with the improved models now required by law in many states. Worse, a yearning for the good old days has led to the use of antique fixtures with glass shells known as "acorns" fitted with state-of-the-art high intensity bulbs instead of the modest lamps they once housed. That idea is a little like putting an Indy 500 engine into a Model T with similarly poor results. Tucson, Ariz., by contrast, has updated its street lighting with low glare, flat lens cobra head fixtures. Its population approximates ours, but in 1997 murders totaled only 53 despite that city's location squarely on the front line in the war on drugs. We should expect our street lighting to provide good vision that enhances safety for pedestrians and drivers, if not protection from crime, instead of creating blind spots and the nuisance of glare invading bedroom windows. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America's recommendations specify lighting that promotes optimum vision while minimizing undesirable glare. Nearly all of our street lighting fails those standards. The evidence doesn't support faith in street lighting for preventing crime. Rather than more street lighting, we need better street lighting. For more information, visit our Web site at: http://home.att.net/~icole Kevin Fleming |
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© 1999 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc. AP materials © 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
