Northeast Neighborhood Watch News - Alexandria, Virginia

Lighting for Safety

Police have learned from repeated studies that good lighting means a reduction in crime--especially larcenies from cars, burglaries and robberies. Increasingly, liability is also an issue--with courts finding for crime victims where developers failed to provide adequate lighting or other security.

For all new development, the Crime Prevention Unit recommends two foot candles minimum maintained. Foot candles are a measure of brightness and minimum maintained means that no area falls below the recommended minimum. (Two foot candles on average would mean lighter and darker areas averaging out to the recommended minimum.) Throughout Alexandria, virtually all newer condominium and townhouse developments have this level of lighting. This is true of all the new townhouse communities in Northeast and Potomac Greens.

Many commercial developers choose to light their properties much more brightly than the recommended two foot candles. For example, lighting at Potomac Yard is between seven and eight foot candles. On the other side of Jeff Davis Highway, Alexandria Toyota's front lot is lit to 100 foot candles, not only as a security measure but also to more effectively display the inventory of cars.

Good lighting is central to crime prevention, but there is more. You can take important steps to further protect your safety:

• Keep your front porch light on at night

• Connect rear lights to a motion detector

• Always be aware of your surroundings

• Trust your intuition if something seems suspicious

• Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight

• Immediately report suspicious people/activity to police

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