North New Castle News

City of Wilmington issued the following announcement on Feb  26.

The Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), in partnership with  the Wilmington Police Department, West End Neighborhood House, Energize Delaware and The HELP Initiative, Inc. kicked off the “Lights-On Campaign,” designed to increase public safety and provide energy-use awareness and education. The HELP Initiative, Inc. will administer, and program manage the collaborative effort to reduce concentrated areas of criminal activity and improve public safety by utilizing energy-efficient lighting measures. This campaign will also provide education and awareness about how to reduce energy burden in the home and provide a roadmap for improving the health and safety of its occupants.

 

The campaign is designed to provide residents in high-risk areas within the City of Wilmington with Dusk to Dawn Energy Efficient LED lights to their front porches. Studies have shown that improved lighting can reduce criminal activity by up to 21 percent, and similar campaigns previously launched in both Dover, DE and Milford, DE saw measurable success rates. The City of Dover Police Department crime statistics during this campaign’s period of performance demonstrated that concentrated areas of criminal activity were reduced in size and that Emergency 911 call volume increased for the targeted campaign areas.

 

The Wilmington Housing Authority will be working with The HELP Initiative, Inc. to ensure that these lights are outfitted in within their communities and that their residents are aware of and engaged in the program. The WHA will be reconfiguring outlets at some of their properties so that they are compatible with the energy-efficient bulbs, providing The HELP Initiative, Inc with resident addresses as needed, and assisting with community engagement activities that promote the campaign.   

Original source can be found here.