Street Lights And Crime Prevention

[Richard Akindele]

It can be argued that one of the main constraints in effective prevention and detection of most crimes committed in our cities after dark, could be the virtual absence of street lighting systems in our cities. This is not just because Nigeria is under-electrified which leaves great portions of our major cities in pitch darkness most of the time. There is also the unfortunate and grossly negligent fact that even where they once existed as part of our road designs, street lights on major roads in most cities of the federation do not function. They were vandalized, or left to rot for lack of maintenance by state and federal authorities which installed them.

It is in this wise that we align with the call by Mr Emmanuel Adebayo, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, on the state government to help the police in crime control by rehabilitating the street lights in the state.

Apart from their aesthetic values, street lights illuminate and discourage blatant malfeasance such as mugging, rape, bag-snatching and other felonies that are committed under cover of darkness in so-called 'black - spots'.

In fact, with the perpetual darkness that befalls most parts of our cities, it may be technically incorrect to talk of 'black-spots' since all corners of our cities have become 'black spots'.

Explaining his call, Adebayo had correctly observed that it would help to detect and fight crime in Lagos State, if the roads were well lit at night.

This, he argued, is a critical part of the 'strategies to fight crime in the state".

We agree. A casual look at major roads and highways in most states would reveal that even when they were part of the original specifications for construction, street lights have been abandoned by both state and federal authorities who are more pre-occupied with toll-collection than making their states less crime-prone and secure for citizens.

A case in point is the Third Mainland Bridge, the Apapa-Oshodi/Oworonsoki-Ibadan high ways.

All these great thoroughfares had street lights designed into them. Nevertheless, all those lights along with steel and aluminium railings have been destroyed or vandalized.

The result is that every portion of those roads in Lagos has become a 'black-spot' for lurking, ravenous criminals who rob, rape or kill in full knowledge that no-one will be fool-hardy enough to challenge them, not even the police.

Part of the irony of this situation where governments' neglect of infrastructure encourages crime is that it is the same governments that urge law enforcement agents to do more in crime fighting.

It does not take a feat of mind to agree that one of the most dangerous and uncertain enterprises is to get into a fight blind folded as law-enforcement officers are most times expected to do.

It bears re-stating that cities that allow thousands of vehicles, trucks and buses that serve as hid-outs, arms depots, and operational head-quarters for hoodlums to be abandoned on unlit roads, may have to live with crimes perpetrated at night.

Apart from criminal attacks, most motorists lose their lives in night accidents that better visibility could have prevented.

It may be too much to ask that more electric power be made available so that the nations roads and streets could have light.

But it is not much at all to demand that state and federal authorities who have the statutory duty to maintain our roads to fix the existing street lights - so that they can function even when every other place is in darkness.

Surely, a law is long, over-due to make street - lighting mandatory in private and public spaces in our states. Crime control will be a lot easier when law-enforcement agents and citizens can see their way around in the night. This is just common sense.

Daily Champion.