Lighting up city streets to curb crime

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A group of nonprofits are hoping to curb crime downtown by lighting up city streets.

"It's a really dark block, so it's become a gathering for people who want to sell and buy drugs." said Helen Varty, executive director of Front Steps, the group that manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. "There are lots of groups of people gathering and a lot of that activity going on. Bright lights work to scare that away."

ARCH and other nonprofit groups are trying to make the blocks between Sixth and Seventh streets brighter. However, adding more lighting would go against a city ordinance adopted in 2007 with the goal of preserving the view of the night sky.

"The dark sky ordinance was part of the commercial design standards, and the intent behind the Dark Skies Ordinance was to minimize light pollution, especially in cases where residential and commercial structures are up against one another." said Richard Weiss, chair of the City of Austin Design Commission.

At the request of the nonprofit advocates, the City's Public Safety Task Force is working on a plan to improve lighting in the area to deter crime.

"While we certainly believe our design standards are good and that they are there for a reason, public safety I think, in some instances is paramount to aesthetically pleasing lighting, said Austin City Council member Mike Martinez. "So, we are going to take that into consideration, but ultimately our goal is to make it safer for the folks using those services down there."

To get around the ordinance, city staff would need to get a variance. Martinez said Tuesday that is something they are working on and said funding for the lights would most likely come from the nonprofits and their contributors.

The plan could be brought before the council in the next few months.