“We encourage residents to turn on outside lights to improve safety and deter crime,” Albee said.
South of South Neighborhood Association has announced its eighth annual Light Up the Night event on Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Julian Abele Park in Graduate Hospital. The family-friendly, community event is being held to raise awareness about safety and crime prevention in the neighborhood. It also encourages residents to get to know their neighbors and to strengthen police-community partnerships.
“We’re inviting the neighborhood,” said Kristen Albee, the chair of SOSNA’s Safety Committee. “We hope people come out.”
The event is centered around working an awareness about improving lighting in the streets in the neighborhood.
“We encourage residents to turn on outside lights to improve safety and deter crime,” Albee said.
Albee said SOSNA recently completed a lighting campaign to get people to turn on their outside stoop lights. The neighborhood organization recently awarded more than 50 Dusk to Dawn light bulbs to residents who completed a survey about lighting in the neighborhood.
“A well-lit block is easier to navigate,” Albee said. “There is evidence and data that says that well-lit areas deter criminals.”
Also at the event will be an opportunity for locals to register their bikes with the Philadelphia Police Department.
Albee said the city fire department will also be on hand with a fire truck, which children can explore and enjoy.
Live music will be performed for adults, along with the opportunity to learn more about the Vision Zero campaign from members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.
Every year Light Up the Night takes place on the same night as National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. According to the National Night Out website, the organization “enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.”
