Athens is keeping the light on — streetProProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 -Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 ght, that is.
In response to safety concerns about unlit areas around the city, Athens City Council will try to combat crime and improve pedestrian safety by increasing the number of streetlights in the city.
From 2011, the Athens Police Department received reports of about 70 sex-related crimes, according to documents from APD. During that same time period, the Ohio University Police Department sent out nine crime alerts for such offenses on campus.“
A few years ago, there were a number of rape attempts or rapes that took place (near Mill and Stewart),” said Councilman Steve Patterson, D-at large. “So we held town hall meetings to talk about issues, and one these issues that came up was improving lighting in regards to safety.”
To turn the spotlight on the problem, the Joint Police Advisory Council between OUPD and APD will hold a bus tour of the city 7 p.m. Thursday.
The tour will identify potential areas for lighting improvement in Athens and is open to the public, Patterson said.
Compared to similar college towns in Ohio, Athens scored below average on number of streetlights per square mile.
There are 902 streetlights in Athens — owned either by the city or by American Electric Power — equaling an average of 109 streetlights per square mile in the city.
In comparison, the cities of Oxford, Kent and Bowling Green have 151, 156 and 103 streetlights per square mile, according to data from the cities.
Athens has been adding poles in housing developments on the outskirts of town and in other neighborhoods with the help of the joint police committee, but some say additional lighting is needed.
The city needs to improve pedestrian safety, especially with the extra risk of winter months, said Ron Lucas, Athens deputy service safety director.
The city is prioritizing additional lighting in the areas around Columbia Avenue, Richland Avenue and North Congress Street, Lucas said.
“We’re looking at quite a few areas here,” Lucas said. “We’re looking at some intersections and their safety come wintertime.”
Although there are no statistics for the city indicating a correlation between crime rates and lighting, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said streetlights act as a deterrent to crime.
“(More lighting) probably would (benefit APD),” Pyle said. “But I don’t have any statistical evidence to back that up.”
To ensure that the public’s concerns are addressed, City Council passed an ordinance approving an additional $23,000 to fund electricity through the rest of the year.
The city will spend $173,000 toward paying the electric bill this year, not including the electricity for streetlights on campus at OU, said Athens Deputy Auditor Ray Hazlett.
But the money will be well spent if it protects students and residents, Patterson said.
“We’re putting in lights for safety — that’s the main goal,” he said.
sh335311@ohiou.edu
