NCJ Number
195843
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 313-342
Date Published
June 2002
Length
30 pages
Annotation
Incorporating meta-analytic techniques, this article reports on a systematic review of the effects of improved street lighting on crime.
Abstract
Studies were included in the review if they had before-and-after measures of crime in experimental and control areas. Eight American evaluation studies met the criteria for inclusion; their results were mixed. Four studies found that improved street lighting was effective in reducing crime, and the other four found that it was not effective. Five more recent British evaluation studies, however, found that improved lighting correlated with decreases in crime. In two of these studies, the financial savings from reduced crimes greatly exceeded the financial cost of the improved street lighting. A meta-analysis found that the 13 studies, taken together, showed that improved lighting led to reductions in crime. The overall reduction in crime after improved lighting was 20 percent in experimental areas compared with control areas. Since nighttime crimes did not decrease more than daytime crimes, a theory that explains the role of street lighting in increasing community pride, which in turn may lead to crime reductions, may be more plausible than a theory that focuses on increased surveillance and deterrence. Future research should be designed to test the explanatory power of community pride versus surveillance/deterrence. Suggestions are offered for conducting such research. 6 tables, 1 figure, and 69 references