Virginia: Pilot LED Streetlight Program Hopes To Deter Crime, Reduce Light Pollution
The City of Manassas, Virginia is hoping that the installation of new LED lights along its streets will help cut down on light pollution and discourage vandalism and other crimes. The program is set to be tested out in certain neighborhoods this Fall. The Electric Utility ofr the City of Manassas is urging residents to provide their feedback on the new lights which will be replacing the existing high pressure sodium lights currently used throughout the city. The LEDs provide a true white light where as the older lights give off a pale yellow glow. Police are hoping the LED light beams will reduce the amount of petty crimes in the neighborhoods where they are installed.
“LED lights cost about $70 each, and they don’t contain chemicals like high pressure sodium and mercury vapor lights do,” said Tarek Aly, P.E., Manassas’ chief electrical engineer. “They turn on and off by photo cell at dusk and dawn. And each LED light is actually a grid of 200 little lights – making it less vulnerable to pellet gun vandalism.” Aly has spent several years studying the manufacturing and usability of LEDs from companies like Cree and Philips.
Converting traffic signals to LED technology in Manassas has already saved the city 40% in energy and maintenance costs.
So do we think that this switch will really work? Well, there is no doubt that LED lights do drastically reduce light pollution in cities. As far as reducing crime, that may be a bit harder to quantify. Certainly, the LED flashlights have been used by law enforcement for several years because of the spotlight brightness these lights put out. Will criminals take their vandalism and graffiti to areas that are not aglow with LED lights? It seems rational in theory but we’ll have to see what the study in Virginia tells us.
