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More Light, More Crime: Chicago
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The city of Chigago released this report citing the effect of night time illumination vs crime.
After massively increasing outdoor lighting...
"...there was a 21 percent increase in reported evening incidents that occurred in alleys (428 to 519). When daytime offenses were analyzed, a 7 percent decrease was observed."
"These findings indicate that, during the study period, there did not appear to be a suppression effect on crime as a result of increased alley lighting. In fact, it appears that with the increased lighting came an increase in the number of crimes reported to the Chicago Police Department."
Read the full report here.
Originally posted at 9:59AM, 21 February 2007 PDT
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makelessnoise edited this topic 64 months ago.
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I could have saved them the money they spent on that report. People tend to avoid dark places. No people = no crime.
Posted 64 months ago.
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I am writing an update to the CfDS Lighting and Crime pages. I have also created a "John Doe" re-write of the HORS 251 conclusion summary. The report above from the windy city proves the point. Lighting does NOT reduce crime. It creates opportunities for extra crime. LP has many "hidden" effects about which we are learning more. Go to www.lightpollution.org.uk and learn about theses effects. Even the Vietnamese are aware of some of them. When will our city fathers wake up to the truth. They seem to be like Danny Kaye's "King In the All Together" as ignorant as the day that they were born?
Posted 57 months ago.
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richpix --
Actually, the bulk of urban criminology and urban design research seems to suggest in unison that lighting is not so much an indicator of criminal activity or perceptions of danger so much as the absence of home and business owners with an easy-shot view of alleys, be it during day or night.
Were alleys re-purposed into something other than places to park and drive vehicles and instead were re-designed as zones where people lived, worked, and played — much like narrow side streets in Japan — research suggests that the "eye surveillance" of people who have a stake in those (aka, "defensible space" -- see Nicholas Blomley or Jane Jacobs) sites would drive away crime.
So it's proprietor surveillance, not increased street lighting, which suggests a decrease in perceptions of danger. After all, all the lights in the world could shine on an alleyway, but if no one can see it and phone the police as a witness, then who's going to know it's you when you scream for your life during a robbery attempt?
Posted 41 months ago.
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