Axis
Urban Security
Problems addressed
Crime and delinquency (multiple types)
Robberies
Thefts
Fear of crime and/or sensation of insecurity
Disorder and disturbance (or breach) of the peace
Violent crimes

Effectiveness

Mixed Evidence

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Mixed Evidence

¿Quieres saber más acerca de esta clasificación? Consulte nuestro manual metodológico.

Description

Poor lighting enhances the surprise factor of a criminal action, makes it difficult to identify offenders, and favors the abandonment of streets and public spaces. Therefore, public lighting is one of the good situational and urban interventions presented by a large majority of studies that evaluate its impact on crime.

Country of application
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Evidence

The Campbell Collaboration platform presents the results of a meta-analysis that evaluated the impact of 13 public lighting programs and concluded that this type of intervention causes a 21% reduction on average in the total number of crimes committed in places with improved public lighting. This type of intervention is particularly effective to reduce the incidence of property crime (residential burglary and theft in general), and some of the studies included in the review also revealed an improved feeling of safety and better disorder indices [1].
Lighting has also had an effect in terms of reducing daytime burglary and on overall feeling of safety. However, it is not effective to reduce violent crime [1].

Bibliography

[1] Welsh, B. C., Farrington, D. P. (2008). Effects of Improved Street Lighting on Crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1–51. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2008.13

Information Source

Evaluated cases

Impact of Daylight Saving Time on Crime in Santiago

Axis: Urban Security
Type: Public Lighting
Effectiveness:

Effective

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.

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Effective
Problem type:
Crime and delinquency (multiple types), Robberies, Thefts
Country:
Chile
Open

Street Lighting in Dudley

Axis: Urban Security
Type: Public Lighting
Effectiveness:

Effective

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.

.

.

.

Effective
Problem type:
Crime and delinquency (multiple types), Fear of crime and/or sensation of insecurity
Country:
United Kingdom
Open

Light for All Program

Axis: Urban Security
Type: Public Lighting
Effectiveness:

Promising

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.

.

.

.

Promising
Problem type:
Homicides
Country:
Brazil
Open

Hot Spot Policing and Municipal Services Intervention (Bogotá)

Axis: Urban Security
Type: Public Lighting
Effectiveness:

Mixed Evidence

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.

.

.

.

Mixed Evidence
Problem type:
Homicides, Interpersonal violence or injuries, Fear of crime and/or sensation of insecurity, Sexual violence
Country:
Colombia
Open

Street Lighting in New York City Public Housing

Axis: Urban Security
Type: Public Lighting
Effectiveness:

Promising

.

.

.

.

.

Promising
Problem type:
Homicides, Crime and delinquency (multiple types), Interpersonal violence or injuries, Armed violence, Disorder and disturbance (or breach) of the peace
Country:
United States
Open

Why might the cases evaluated have different levels of effectiveness in relation to their respective type of solution?
Click here to understand why.

Some cases were not included in the evidence bank due to deficiencies detected in the methodology of their impact evaluations.
Click here to see the list

 

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