City of Freeport to upgrade street lights in hopes of reducing crime

FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — The streets of Freeport will be brighter lit this summer after the City of Freeport agrees to a ComEd contract that will upgrade streetlights with LED bulbs.

“We’re just hoping for less criminal activity to happen in these areas,” said Freeport Chief of Police Chris Shenberger.

Shenberger feels brighter lights could be a step in the right direction to keep crime off the street. City council approved the LED bulbs specifically for areas with high rates of crime.

“We looked at different incidents where we were where they were occurring and evaluated the lighting in those areas and from there we came up with a list of places where we thought that we could improve the lighting,” Freeport’s Police Chief explained.

The $24,000 contract aims to upgrade 63 streetlights throughout the city in hopes of eliminating crime. Shenberger said a common theory in policing was what drove him to make the push for upgraded streetlights.

“I’m a big proponent of the broken Windows theory, which basically says blight attracts crime. So if you have an area of blighted buildings, you have trash out, you know, dark areas,” the Chief continued. “It’s going to invite the criminal criminal element to say, you know, it’s okay to come over here and do this. So I think by brightening up those areas, our hope is that people can be less apt to commit crimes in those areas.”

Freeport’s Mayor Jodi Miller feels the community has a role to play as well.

“Just simple little things that our residents can do with help with that is to keep their porch lights turned on or to maybe install motion lights,” said the Mayor. “There’s simple little things that can just help brighten up dark areas.”

Shenberger wanted the community to know their concerns for the city were heard.

“I think it was good for the city to show that we listened to some of the residents’ concerns and that was addressed by by improving the lighting in those areas,” said Shenberger. “I think that the citizens who are able to have these brighter areas who live in those areas can hopefully feel safer.”