Pacific Standard shares news of a study that debunks a long-held assumption of public safety.
Lisa Wade digs into the research into the question of whether street lighting reduces crime. Although people, and sociologists, usually associate crime with economic factors like poverty and joblessness, "[w]hen early lighting companies began lobbying cities to install the first street lights at the end of the 1800s, they argued that bright lights would certainly deter crime."
A 2015 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health concludes, however, that lighting does not deter crime. According to Wade, continuing to make an honest account of what does and does not deter crime, and how society might make investments with some hope of succeeding in reducing crime.
FULL STORY: Do Bright Street Lights Actually Reduce Crime?
Indianapolis Installing New Streetlights for the First Time in 35 Years
Indianapolis officials including Mayor Joe Hogsett gathered this week to celebrate the installation of the city's first new streetlight in 35 years.
Report: American Downtowns Safer Than You Think
A Brookings Institution study reveals that crime rates in major cities have risen, but downtown districts account for a negligible part of the growth.
Memphis: Crime-fighting Camera Sheds Light on Police Abuse
The irony is unmistakable. Public surveillance cameras, long controversial in the criminal justice community, provided pivotal video footage of the beating of motorist Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers at a traffic stop on January 7.
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Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
SEPTA Budget Slashes Service by 45 Percent
The Philadelphia-area transit agency is legally tasked with maintaining a balanced budget. Officials hope the state will come to the rescue with additional funding.
Connecticut Governor Vetoes Housing Bill
Gov. Lamont reversed his view on a controversial affordable housing bill that would have required municipalities to zone for set amounts of affordable housing to receive state funding.
NJ Transit Trains Delayed by Extreme Heat
Breakdowns in the subway network’s HVAC system caused dangerously high temperatures on platforms, while heat-induced track expansion forced trains to slow down.
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