One of the best deterrents to crime is visibility, as it tends to increase the likelihood of a witness to any activity. The Light Up the Night Campaign was designed to improve residents' sense of security by increasing light on the streets. This campaign was traditionally launched Halloween Night but, over the years has expanded to a year-round initiative.

We have all heard about turning lights on and off in our homes while we are away in order to give the appearance of someone being at home. This works on much the same principle. While it is true most home break-ins happen during the day, some do occur at night. Your risk of becoming a victim is reduced if your property is well lit.

Most main streets in our area have street lights and a number of the back streets, such as ours, are lit as well. However you may have noticed that these lights are provided for vehicles, not people. Particularly in mature neighborhoods, the trees along the street tend to prevent this light from reaching the public sidewalks. By turning on your front and back lights, you not only provide pedestrian safety but you increase visibility in your yard as well.

We encourage you to either install a motion-activated or photosensitive spotlight to the exterior of your home. Motion activated lights are more common but some individuals have reported that the constant on and off lighting often created more anticipation of problems. Whichever you choose, the cost is only pennies a month. You acquire peace of mind while saving the financial and emotional costs of being a potential victim of crime.

The final benefit of this program is, that in the event a police or emergency response is required at your home, a neighbor's light will help them to identify the home address much more quickly.

Don't Live in the Dark
Use these five easy steps to help make your street safer with lighting:

1. Fix broken street lamps
   Contact your Neighborhood Watch Captain if you notice a street Light is in need of repair. Be prepared to give the four digit number found on the light pole as well as the address of the lamp. If the lights are not fixed within a week, you should call them again.
   
2. Trim Trees
   If trees are blocking the light from the streetlamps, you should have them cut far enough away from the lamp so as not to impede the light from shining on the street.
   
3. Leave your porch light on at night
   Encourage all of your neighbors to do the same. A lighter neighborhood is a safer neighborhood. It costs less than $10.00 a year to leave an energy efficient CFL light bulb on all night, every night.
   
4. Place exterior lighting on solar timers
   Solar timers automatically turn lights on at night and off during the daylight. They are also called photocells.
   
5. Check exterior lights
   You should check your exterior lights at least once every three months to ensure they are all in working order.