CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Virgin Islands Police Department worked with the local government to ensure that street lights are working in a St. Thomas east end neighborhood.
The VIPD joined with St. Thomas-Water Island Administrator Avery Lewis to put the lights on in Smith Bay this week.
Police are betting that increased lighting in the area will deter violent crime and increase motoring safety.
A New York City “lights study found that (housing) developments that received new lights experienced crime rates that were significantly lower than would have been the case without the new lights.”
“Among other findings, the study concluded that increased levels of lighting led to a 36 percent reduction in ‘index crimes’ — a subset of serious felony crimes that includes murder, robbery and aggravated assault, as well as certain property crimes — that took place outdoors at night in developments that received new lighting, with an overall four percent reduction in index crimes,” Urban Labs said.