DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Thursday, the city of Detroit announced plans to install 3,000 streetlights in an effort to improve safety.
Thomas and Karen Lett have called Rossini Drive home for more than three decades. It goes without saying, they’ve seen the neighborhood change, but one thing that has not improved is the view from their front porch after dark.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below:
“It’s real dark around here because (there’s no light pole) in the middle of the block and these side streets here," Thomas said.
The problem stems back to 2014 and 2015, when the city relighting project removed thousands of secondary poles. On blocks like Lett's, it created "dead zones" where the lights on the corners just don’t reach. For Lett, that darkness is an open invitation for trouble.
“My concern is people just hiding out when it’s dark, cause we’ve had people breaking in and robbing folks at 2, 3 ‘o’clock in the morning when they're going to work over the years," he explained.
After sunset on Thursday evening, while gathered in front of a home where a streetlight used to be, Mayor Mary Sheffield signed an executive order directing the Public Lighting Authority to restore that security.
"Tonight, I am proud to announce the "Brighten up the Block" initiative," Sheffield said.
She said it's about improving safety and quality of life for residents.
It’s a promise the mayor made on the campaign trail. Sheffield said the plan is to install 3,000 lights and that it'll be funded through a bond secured by the lighting authority.
The Public Lighting Authority said they will begin the installations this summer.
To reach the city about the initiative, you can find a list of contacts on the Department of Neighborhoods page at this link.
