UK: Street lights to be switched off at midnight

The Telegraph ^ | 2/11/08

[bruinbirdman]

Street lights in suburban areas are to be switched off after midnight as part of council plans to save energy.

A series of trial blackouts will be carried out over the next few weeks by local authorities in the Home Counties, Hampshire and Essex among others.

Buckinghamshire council is reported to be switching off more than 1,700 lights along 25 miles of road in an attempt to meet energy targets.

It says the scheme will save £100,000 and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 600 tons a year.

If the trials are successful, all street lamps across the country could be turned off between midnight and 5am.

Other areas taking part in the scheme include Maldon and Uttlesford in Essex, while parts of Hampshire have already carried out pilots.

Residents' groups, police organisations and motoring groups have expressed fear that the darkness could cause increases in crime and road traffic accidents.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "The councils are considering these schemes to both reduce their energy budget and cut down on emissions.

"Areas where street lights will be turned off will be on routes there is little need for them."

[Colin Henshaw]

Sorry, but I don’t think you’d know a Marxist if you fell over one.

[Colin Henshaw]

I don’t think I need to say anything more to you above and beyond what I have already said.

[Yardstick]

I don’t think I need to say anything more to you above and beyond what I have already said.

That's exactly what they want you to think.

[dragnet2]

If street lights made ya safe, all of our major cities, that are lit up like glaring football stadiums, would be the safest places in the country.

[rottndog]

And now human sacrifice has become a wage of the Global Warming Hoax.

[dragnet2]

That will increase criminal activity.

Ya ever seen the gawdy city of Las Vegas lit up at night? You can see the light dome of that city hundreds of miles away extending up into the atmosphere.

Yet Vegas has more crime per capita than does LA, Cal.

Latest 2006 Crimes per 100,000 People:

	Las Vegas, NV	Los Angeles, CA	National
Murder:	11.6	12.4	7
Forcible Rape:	54.57	27.3	32.2
Robbery:	409	370	205.8
Aggravated Assault:	507.7	377.2	336.5
Burglary:	1133.5	524.8	813.2
Larceny Theft:	2038.2	1539.2	2601.7
Vehicle Theft:	1495.6	654.4	501.5

[Cindy]

Thanks you for that chart dragnet2.
That's interesting, but that's Las Vegas.

Generally speaking, criminals do not like well lit areas, alarms, police patrols, and armed citizens. Criminals do not like being caught.

[gitmo]

Residents' groups, police organisations and motoring groups have expressed fear that the darkness could cause increases in crime

They should thank God for the 2nd Amendment.

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.

.

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Oh. Never mind.

[bruinbirdman]

"thank God for the 2nd Amendment"

Indeed, part of a divinely inspired document. I offer anecdotal evidence.

Residence is located opposite the green of a 440 yard 6th hole. The block, as discovered by local high school hot rodders, is a quarter mile. One night, noticing an unusual amount of high speed traffic outside in a residential zone, I walked to the sidewalk wall with just a big ol' Benjamin pellet rifle and sat down with it prominently displayed upright. One drag racer passed me and that was the last I have seen of speeding on this block in years.

yitbos

[bruinbirdman]

P.S. There is a streetlight in front of my house, so I was plainly visible.

yitbos

[dragnet2]

Generally speaking, criminals do not like well lit areas

They could care less about street lights.

Again, if streets lights made us safe, all of our brightly lit major cities would be the safest places in this country.

[Yardstick]

if streets lights made us safe, all of our brightly lit major cities would be the safest places in this country.

If cleaning products really worked, the bathroom would be the most sanitary room in the house.

[Cindy]

Let's try this again, from my post no. 87:

"Generally speaking, criminals do not like well lit areas, alarms, police patrols, and armed citizens. Criminals do not like being caught."

Criminals don't like dogs, either. Anyway, bottom line dragnet2, a well lit area is only part of a safety plan and it is common sense. Have a good evening.

[dragnet2]

a well lit area is only part of a safety plan

Another fact is the vast majority of burglaries are committed in broad daylight.

[Cindy]

Alright dragnet2, you’ve had your fun.

That’s daytime residential burglaries when most people are at work and car burglaries (unoccupied vehicles).

No more pings, I’m not your instructor nor your supervisor.

[Liberal Bob]

They could care less about street lights.

Again, if streets lights made us safe, all of our brightly lit major cities would be the safest places in this country.

You kind of got your cause and effect backwards don't you?

[meadsjn]

Darkness is normal at night, and the sooner we realise that fact, the better. These curfews are coming because they are an absolute necessity, so the nay-sayers should put up and shut up.

I hear ya, mate. And next off, we'll set about eliminating all those artificial caves. People need to learn to live in purely natural caves, or sleep under the stars.

[dragnet2]

That’s daytime residential burglaries when most people are at work

You bet, in broad daylight.

In addition, most robberies are also done in...Broad daylight!

[Cindy]

"...when most people are at work."

[Cindy]

BACK ON TOPIC:

This is the article/thread title:

“UK: Street lights to be switched off at midnight”
The Telegraph ^ | 2/11/08
Posted on February 11, 2008 12:29:44 AM PST by bruinbirdman

and this was my response:

To: All

“That will increase criminal activity.”

5 posted on February 11, 2008 12:38:50 AM PST by Cindy

and that answer is true, correct and just plain commonsense.