Without street lights city roads turn into a haven for criminals

The majority of residential and commercial areas of the city are reeling under darkness due to the lack working of street lights.

Take any major road or residential areas or RoB street lights that don’t work and are turning into a haven for criminals.

The latest incident was on Sunday night when a staff of KLE was walking for his night shift was stopped after KFC near KLE’s Hospital.

It was dark and the staff nurse could not recognize who had stopped him as the accused was wearing a mask.

The accused asked for money and as the staff nurse denied he was attacked with a knife due to which he suffered an injury to the subclavian artery and back of the neck due to which there was severe bleeding.

From Krishna Devaraya Circle to KLE Hospital no street lights were working and he was walking to work as he does.

This is not a one-off incident, there could be so many like the one we shared but the police nor the city corporation are working on preventing the same.

While some studies say there is no direct link between crime and street illumination, others have found that while better lighting did curb certain kinds of petty crimes and property crimes such as theft and robbery. The presence of bright lights, however, had little effect on violent crimes such as murder.

However, most studies seem to agree that more street lights contribute to people “feeling” safer and having a better opinion of a neighborhood.

A 2008 study by College of Policing, UK (https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/uploads/pub_res/What_works_Street_lighting_briefing.pdf), says: “Improved street lighting had a positive effect in reducing crimes such as burglary and theft. It did not, however, reduce the incidence of violent crimes. Perhaps surprisingly, the positive effects of improved street lighting are felt in the daytime as well as at night.”

For over the past 3-4 years the street lights issue has turned into a major civic issue with no one bothered to resolve it.

The Cantonment hasn’t paid HESCOM so power supply has been cut in City corporation areas most of the old lamps connections have been removed or broken as the smart city has laid new roads and new lamps havent been connected as yet.

The road in question was also relaid by the smart city and as per the tender new street lights have to be fixed in the median?

So for this can the smart city be charged with negligence in duty?