Many residents I've spoken to have concerns about their safety in our community. Recent reporting shows that break and enters and car theft are up. Other recent events such such as the attempted jewelry theft, along with gang shootings, have many asking what can be done to further protect our community? I have a few solutions. The first would be to install more street lights in dimly lit neighborhoods. Many studies have shown this acts as a deterrent to crime, with one recent study finding, "developments that received new lights experienced crime rates that were significantly lower than would have been the case without the new lights. Among other findings, the study concluded that increased levels of lighting led to a 36% reduction in "index crimes" — a subset of serious felony crimes that includes murder, robbery and aggravated assault, as well as certain property crimes." Second, I'd like install increased CCTV in high risk areas. The presence of cameras has been shown to act as a deterrent to crime, and the footage they gather can be vital in solving and apprehending dangerous persons. CCTV can be so successful that Orange County, New Jersey, saw a 50% drop in all crime types after comprehensive CCTV was installed. Third, invest in a program which helps Maple Ridge residents install doorbell cameras, along with home security systems. Ideally this would be subsidized, so that it's not a financial burden on the home owners. A similar program was just introduced in Chicago to hopefully help curb its soaring crime problem.
And fourth, maintain a strong relationship with local law enforcement to ensure that their needs and recommendations are met. I believe that these four proposals will help ensure Maple Ridge remains safe. As our city continues to grow, we need to make sure we take the appropriate steps to protect our communities. Sources: https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/projects/crime-lights-study https://www.grin.com/document/280648 https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/nyregion/29east.html https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2022/4/4/23010293/security-cameras-rebates-new-city-program-video-footage-chicago-police-lightfoot-brown