Abstract

Barangay Pasong Tamo, located in Quezon City has been tagged as among those with a moderately crime rate, particularly at night. Local authorities also showed the barangay is now among the first in the list of communities with crimes of robbery and theft, proving that the barangay would still need more crime prevention measures. A majority of the incidents take place in dimly lit streets where-low visibility allows criminals to work undetected. Dark spots are not only breeding ground for crimes but also lessen the confidence of residents to go outside after dark. This has implications on how people move around in the community, on how businesses operate, and on any public safety concerns. The research design was a quantitative descriptive study to determine the effectiveness of Improving streetlights for crime prevention in Barangay Pasong Tamo. This is a survey-based study and data collection was carried out with the administration of a structured survey questionnaire to fifty (50) respondents of which residents, barangay officials, and police officers. The respondents were selected by using convenience and purposive sampling methods and they are people who have direct or indirect experience or knowledge about the conditions of the streetlights and the community safety matters. Results of the study showed that respondents had mainly positive expectations about the impact of better street lighting on community safety. The best scored items were all linked with offender deterrence, such as being more visible and hiding less from criminals. It was a general consensus that one of the effects of brighter streets was that offenders could not commit crimes under the cover of darkness because there was an increased chance they might be detected and captured. These findings reinforce the theoretical premises of the Problem Solving Triangle, prioritizing the need to alter environmental conditions over the other two corners of the triangle in crime prevention. Enhancing the element of “place” by means of improved street lighting disrupts the meeting place of offender, victim and target. Greater lighting reduces the anonymity of offenders, increases guardianship, and bolsters the willingness of residents to use public spaces at night.