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Lights On, Wilmington Strong promotes safety on city's West Side

Some residents on Wilmington’s West Side have brighter neighborhoods thanks to a pilot program aimed at increasing residential security and public safety.

 

The community group West Side Grows Together and the nonprofit HELP Initiative together launched Lights On, Wilmington Strong.

They identified residents in the city’s West Side from 5th Street to Chestnut Street, and Lincoln Street to Jackson Street to receive energy efficient Dusk to Dawn LED lights for front porches. And solar-powered LED motion-sensor floodlights are being installed in backyards and vacant lots.

The lights were installed in areas with higher crime numbers and poorly lit streets.

Sarah Lester, Director of Cornerstone West CDC, helped bring program to Wilmington’s West Side, and says the city has been helpful in getting the program off the ground.

"The city of Wilmington has been an excellent partner so many various departments have been working with us to make sure that we can successfully install these lights, and that any data that is gathered that we're sharing so that it can be useful for as many people as possible," said Lester. "So the city of Wilmington has been a great partner, a lot of local community leaders and residents and this church the New Life Christian Center have been wonderful supporting this effort."

Lester adds those with the lights feel safer, and the program has helped bring the community closer together.

West Side Grows Together's Calvin Bland agrees, saying he's seen morale improve since the installation of the lights.

"It has been positive feedback, the residents and the businesses and the communities feel safer and they are excited about having the lights, and being part of the program," said Bland.

325 residents have had lights installed to date, and that number will eventually increase to 500.

 

Installation costs about $100 per home with Christiana Care, the city of Wilmington, the Neighborhood Building Blocks fund and Energize Delaware as the main funders.