Outdoor Lighting and Crime - Amper

no reason to suppose that ambient light discriminates by attracting law-abiding people while
repelling criminals. A lighting hotspot can and does form and grow in a low-crime area, such
as a greenfield site for a shopping mall, and crime will increase as a consequence.
It may be that small bright light sources in the field of view have greater people-attracting
power than the same amount of light distributed more evenly over larger areas. This seems to
be unknown; surprisingly, given the scale of investment in external lighting of retail premises.
For a given amount of light flux, glare from small sources is generally worse. This is an
excessive luminance problem. As mentioned, glare does seem to lessen the fear-reducing
effect of light at night. It would be a curious or perverse result if glare did turn out to be a
positive factor in attraction. In the meantime, attempts at lighting hotspot characterisation
might usefully include glare measurements. Colorimetric characterisation might also be
important.
Jochelson (1997) includes maps showing locations of robberies and assaults in central Sydney
(the part south of the harbour) in 1995 with day of week, day and night differentiation. The
compactness of some of the crime hotspots is remarkable. Unfortunately, no numerical
information about the lighting situation in 1995 was given in the report or has been found
elsewhere. The writer recalls seeing at least four of the major hotspots in 1996 and earlier
years: all of the crime hotspots were brightly lit. They were in busy commercial streets with
numerous entertainment, fast-food and alcohol-licensed premises, typical of known hotspots
in other large Australian cities. The fifth hotspot was centred on a busy railway station
(Redfern) in an area known for heroin usage. Transport terminals in general seem to be more
brightly lit than their surrounds and are often regarded as crime hotspots. 70
Hyde Park is a large area of parkland abutting the eastern side of central Sydney. Although
not classified by Jochelson as a crime hotspot, its map area was marked as the location for a
substantial number of robberies and assaults. It is rather brightly lit as parks go. A larger
park nearby was not as brightly lit, and had about one-seventh the number of offences. There
is scope for further investigation.
The ‘ratcheting’ of lighting at petrol (gasoline) filling stations and convenience stores (IDA
IS145 1998) is generally considered as a ‘brighter and safer’ competition for customers. 71 It
can now be recognised as another example of the coupled growth of lighting, commerce and
crime. A similar effect applies when other security lighting, domestic, commercial or
70 Airports may be in this category. Typically, they and their surrounds are prolific sources
of light pollution, much of which is entirely unnecessary or even hazardous from the point of
view of aviation safety.
71 The wastefulness of present commercial lighting practice was indicated during
decommissioning of a six-pump filling station in the writer’s locality during 2002. The
canopy had been fitted with blue translucent panels on its edge as part of the fuel brand
signature. Backlighting of these panels was revealed to use about 240 fluorescent tubes, each
of 36-W rating. Including ballast losses, this lighting system therefore consumed about 10
kW continuously during its year-round 24-hour operation. As well, the design allowed half of
the radiated energy to be emitted above the horizontal. Many other lights on the site added
greatly to this extravagant usage. Note that the VNIR detectors on the DMSP satellites would
barely respond to the blue light.
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