LED and motion detector street lighting in Germany, Denmark,

Fri 6 Nov 2009, 15:14

I think people wanted information from 'nearby towns and villages' that have NEVER had street lights. Stonesfield and Finstock were mentioned in that context. There must be figures showing whether there is more night crime in those places -- or not. It's just no one could produce them. I hope the Town Council will make it its business to find out before it considers the options.

My impression, having lived in Finstock for 13 years, is that there is far more crime in Charlbury, though mostly petty and/or often against cars, and more than would be accounted for by the greater population. Most of the crime in Finstock was from outside, and often theft to order, like the gearbox removed from some farm machinery opposite me in the middle of one night!

The point about the fear of crime by the elderly is very serious. We are encouraged to make public policy according to the prejudices and assumptions of the tabloid press, and this is dangerous. They are not using evidence to support an argument, they are stoking fear to boost sales. It's not immediately obvious how to work with this, but one way to make people afraid is to create a climate in which they expect to be afraid. The elderly will not be on the streets at two in the morning, but they are made to feel frightened nonetheless.

The fact is, it would be dead easy to find dark places to lurk in Charlbury if you wanted to, even when the street lights are on. Anyone wanting to sneak into your back garden at dead of night could probably do so very easily. As the bus driver told us, there is absolutely no one around to see what you are up to! And the 'youths' who are blamed for what goes on do in fact gather where the lights are brightest, a point made at the meeting! That's why they congregate outside the Co-op: the only known way of dispersing them, I once read, is to play Bach or Mozart to them.

I'm sorry if I misrepresented the motion put to the meeting. Geoff Walton and I actually worded it, but maybe what was said or heard was not what was intended. What did we say, Christine?