ATLANTA — A citywide project in Atlanta aims to reduce crime over time. But, is there evidence to support the project will work as planned?
Before her time as Atlanta’s leader ends, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a new plan; the Light Up the Night initiative.
The city is partnering with the Atlanta Department of Transportation and Georgia Power to install 10,000 lights by the end of 2022.
One of the goals of the initiative is to "help reduce crime in our city by 20% from our mouths to God’s ears," according to Bottoms.
It’s a idea incoming Mayor Andre Dickens also expressed support for during the mayoral debates.
The idea is well-lit street save lives. However, research is mixed on whether there's a direct correlation.
The city of Atlanta pointed to Detroit and New York as places where this worked.
Detroit officials installed 40,000 LED streetlights by the end of 2016 which resulted in an 18% reduction in burglaries, larcenies, and property offenses in one year.
A 2019 study showed crimes reduced by 36% in some New York City public housing developments thanks to new lights.
In contrast, a 2000 study out of Chicago showed reported crime increased where more lights where installed. Granted, that study is more than 20 years old.
And, an even older study from 1997 by the National Institute of Justice, pointed to streetlights not being the best way to prevent crime, concluding “we can have very little confidence that improved lighting prevents crime.”
But, a more recent 2016 study showed crimes increased in Houston areas with more streetlights and concluded “cities should not expect a direct impact of additional streetlights on reductions in crime.”
Research also points to crime reduction and daylight being independent of one another. FBI crimes statistics from 2019 show most residential burglaries happen during the day.
So, which is it? Do more streetlights hurt or help in major cities?
Going back to Chicago may give an answer.
The study showed reported crime increased and that word “reported” is important. The study revealed crime may not have necessary gone up or down because of streetlights but improved lighting could have made more people aware of crimes taking place; thus making people more likely to report crimes.
So while results are mixed, more streetlights could lead to reduction of certain crimes and an increase of people being aware of what goes on at night.
The city’s plan will also reduce energy usage, save the city money, and reduce carbon production, and the city hopes the plan will also serve to reduce traffic deaths across Atlanta.