Comments on: Lights. Camera? No Action. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/02/18/lights-camera-no-action/ 68.3 Square Miles of D.C. News and Opinion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:05:00 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Matt S http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/02/18/lights-camera-no-action/comment-page-1/#comment-104490 Matt S Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:01:31 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2008/02/18/lights-camera-no-action/#comment-104490 The DC police were using large spotlights to deter crime in certain neighborhoods. Most of the time, the lights are raised up beyond the height of a street lamp and blasted around the block. I talked to the police one night when I first moved into my new neighborhood in NE. It was about 12 or 1 am and I noticed the birds were chirping. They must have confused the light for the sun. It was a bit disconcerting to me as well to have a large light blaring down the street so late in the night. I decided to check out the scene and find out what the hell was going on, so I headed down the street to talk to the cop. Turned out that the lights are used in high crime areas to deter criminal behavior. The cop told me they make sure to aim the light away from the windows of residents and they usually pack up by 1 or 2 in the am. There is no telling how effective the lights are, but I suppose a criminal won't want to be "seen" and will find another place to engage in mischief. The DC police were using large spotlights to deter crime in certain neighborhoods. Most of the time, the lights are raised up beyond the height of a street lamp and blasted around the block.

I talked to the police one night when I first moved into my new neighborhood in NE. It was about 12 or 1 am and I noticed the birds were chirping. They must have confused the light for the sun. It was a bit disconcerting to me as well to have a large light blaring down the street so late in the night.

I decided to check out the scene and find out what the hell was going on, so I headed down the street to talk to the cop. Turned out that the lights are used in high crime areas to deter criminal behavior. The cop told me they make sure to aim the light away from the windows of residents and they usually pack up by 1 or 2 in the am.

There is no telling how effective the lights are, but I suppose a criminal won't want to be "seen" and will find another place to engage in mischief.

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