The Smart Way to Curb Crime
A new approach to crime prevention in New York City focuses on improving public lighting rather than increasing arrests. This initiative, launched by Mayor Bill de Blasio, aimed to reduce crime in high-risk areas through better illumination and community engagement. Studies have shown that enhanced lighting significantly decreases nighttime crime rates without leading to more arrests.
- ▪Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a $210 million initiative to improve lighting in high-crime public-housing developments.
- ▪A study found that serious nighttime outdoor crime dropped by 35 percent in areas with better lighting.
- ▪The initiative also included keeping community centers open late and encouraging police to engage with local residents.
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IdeasThe Smart Way to Curb CrimeInstead of expanding arrests, first add better lights.By Elizabeth GlazerAnastasia Miseyko / Connected ArchivesMay 19, 2026, 9:12 AM ET ShareSave In the summer of 2014, the new mayor of New York City had a problem. Bill de Blasio had campaigned against aggressive policing, particularly the city’s controversial policy of briefly detaining people and patting them down for weapons. Stop-and-frisk, which a federal court had ruled was discriminatory as practiced, had been touted as a form of crime prevention. Some New Yorkers feared that the progressive mayor, by dismissing the tactics of local police, would invite a rise in violence and disorder in the city.
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