Preventing Crime with the Help of Street Lights

Residents in the area of Verwood have raised their fears that crime rates will increase when hundreds of street lights are switched off after midnight.

The scheme is being imposed by Dorset County Council is an effort to save ten per cent of its yearly bill while also decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide produced.

Each year, the council uses around 18.4 megawatts of electricity to power nearly 42,000 streetlights. This produces around 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and costs the taxpayer £1.87 million.

However, while budgets are being cut in every sector, residents are angry that these cuts are being made, claiming that darken spots will boost anti-social behavior and vandalism while many shop owners have already been the target of vandals in the past.

Others say that being out late at night increases their worry over their safety if they have to walk down a darken street. Although the proposal has been target at residential areas, the DCC has said that the implementation won’t affect town centers, traffic routes, locations that have a high crime rate or areas that have a large amount of highway use.

With this idea in place the programe would mean energy savings would reach around 15 per cent. Although higher reductions in the energy bill are still being thought out.

In a bid for residents to maintain their safety they should think about purchasing a self defense device that will protect them should they become a target down a dark street. One such safety device that many people are turning their attention to is pepper spray.

Compact, lightweight and extremely powerful, this non-lethal spray canister is the perfect tool for anyone to have on them in a bid to boost their safety.

And as it’s easy to carry it can also be held in a concealed manner which essentially gives the owner the upper hand on their would-be assailant.

Streets lights are there for a reason and while they may produce a large amount of carbon dioxide dark streets are never a good idea. However, simply knowing that you have pepper spray on hand will greatly increase your confidence if you have to walk down a dark street to get home.