The Security Mentor

I was reading an article about astronomy and found some lessons for security. It turns out that many of the lighting changes that astronomers want in order to keep the sky dark actually improve security of the lighted areas.

What would you guess happened when the San Antonio public schools turned off much of their outdoor lighting? Vandalism dropped.

Here's the problem. Poorly thought out lighting causes glare and blinds the people who might otherwise see criminals. Meantime it illuminates the target for criminals and saves them from risking attention by using a flashlight.

Motion detector lights that stay off until someone moves in their field of view are good. People notice change and look when they turn on.

Fixtures with reflectors and shades that keep light from going off to the side are good.

Lights that flood an area that's not visible from the street only help the intruders.

Rutgers professor Marcus Felson's advice about lighting for crime prevention

International Dark-Sky Association