Kate Painter

The influence of street lighting improvements on crime, fear and pedestrian street use, after dark

Abstract This paper focuses upon the results of a co-ordinated programme of research designed to evaluate the impact of street lighting improvements on crime and fear of crime. The street lighting was upgraded in three urban streets and a pedestrian footpath considered by a multi-agency team to be crime and fear prone. The impact of the street lighting programme was assessed using attitudinal and behavioural measures, through ‘before’ and ‘after’ surveys of pedestrians. The results provide convincing evidence that sensitively deployed street lighting can lead to reductions in crime and fear of crime, and increase pedestrian street use after dark.

The financial benefits of improved street lighting, based on crime reduction

Two research projects were carried out to investigate the effects of improved street lighting on crime in Dudley and Stoke-on-Trent. In Dudley, crimes decreased by 41% in the experimental area, compared with a 15% decrease in a control area. In Stoke, crimes decreased by 43% in the experimental area and by 45% in two adjacent areas, compared with a decrease of only 2% in two control areas. In the two projects, the financial savings (from reduced crimes) exceeded the financial costs by between 2.4 and 10 times after one year. It is concluded that improved street lighting can be extremely cost-effective.

Marital Violence in Great Britain and its Relationship to Marital and Non-Marital Rape

The National Survey of Wives in Great Britain was carried out to estimate the prevalence of violence by husbands against wives and the prevalence of rape of wives inside and outside marriage. A quota sample of 1,007 wives, drawn from each of the 10 standard regions of Great Britain, were interviewed. The results showed that 28% of wives had been hit by their husband, while 13% had sexual intercourse with their husband against their will. Lower class wives, and separated or divorced wives, were particularly likely to have been assaulted. The assaulted wives were disproportionally likely also to have been raped. Also, 13% of wives had been forced to have sex by someone other than their husband, and altogether 22% had been raped inside or outside marriage.

Criminal Victimization on a Caribbean Island

This paper reports results from the first national crime victimization survey carried out on a Caribbean island. Astratified random sample of 491 persons were interviewed, with a 90% response rate. Results were compared with those obtained in the International Crime Victims Survey for 10 countries. The prevalence and incidence of theft of vehicles, theft from vehicles, vehicle vandalism, robbery and personal theft were relatively low on the island. The prevalence and incidence of bicycle theft, burglary, attempted burglary, outside theft, assault/threats and sexual incidents were relatively high on the island. The probability of reporting a crime to the police was relatively low on the island, but confidence in the police was relatively high. Despite the relatively high level of crime on the island, fear of crime was relatively low. Language: enThis paper reports results from the first national crime victimization survey carried out on a Caribbean island. Astratified random sample of 491 persons were interviewed, with a 90% response rate. Results were compared with those obtained in the International Crime Victims Survey for 10 countries. The prevalence and incidence of theft of vehicles, theft from vehicles, vehicle vandalism, robbery and personal theft were relatively low on the island. The prevalence and incidence of bicycle theft, burglary, attempted burglary, outside theft, assault/threats and sexual incidents were relatively high on the island. The probability of reporting a crime to the police was relatively low on the island, but confidence in the police was relatively high. Despite the relatively high level of crime on the island, fear of crime was relatively low.