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NEWS > U.S.A. > DETROIT TO SHUT OFF ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY AFTER THIEVES STEAL ALL THE LIGHTS
DETROIT TO SHUT OFF ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY AFTER THIEVES STEAL ALL THE LIGHTS
October 18 2011
Detroit, MI – Detroit is on its way back, kind of. Things have certainly improved in motor city in the last year or so, but considering how far it needed to come back, that really doesn’t say a whole lot. Yes, the car companies are making more money and the major sports teams are doing great, but there is still a lot to be done in the city which has struggled for so long.
The biggest issue in the city, as it has been for a long time, is the high crime rate. Detroit has of course always been a tough city, but recent years have seen an uptick in that already high crime rate, due in large part to the increase in economic depression most have seen. With all the positive movement, that is one area that has simply not changed for the better.
There is perhaps no better example of that than the Indian Village neighbourhood of the city which has been enduring regular blackouts after thieves damaged transformers and stole copper wiring essentially for transmitting electricity. Now, adding insult to injury, that area of the city may have to go without light for a lot longer after thieves made off with all the lights and light bulbs in the area, leaving hundreds with only candles to keep the dark away.
“It doesn't make me happy when I go into a neighborhood at night. We've got an obligation to get it done. In the next couple of years we will see a strong improvement of the lighting of those more dense areas, and that's where we're focused on, and that's what we've got to get done,” said Chief Operation Officer Chris Brown. The city does plan on replacing the lights in the region, but even Brown admitted that they may not have the funds to do so.
Private citizens will be forced to replace their lights on their own, but many have chosen to stay in the dark fearing fresh crime should they gain the power of light.
“I’m very worried that if I replace my lights that the criminals will just come back and steal them, or that my neighbours might do the same thing. One thing we have learned is that having lights in the house is a sure sign to criminals that you have money and it’s just a temptation,” said one local man who asked to remain anonymous. “We keep the curtains drawn and only use small candles, just enough to see. I haven’t heard of anyone being robbed for their candles but frankly that may happen next. It’s really not a great situation but this is Detroit. We are tough.”
Local stores have stopped stocking all lighting-related products, stating that having them in the locations only invites crime.
“I have lights, a few, but no one but me and my family knows about it. I’m a little concerned that my kids may talk about them at school but so far that hasn’t been an issue. We only turn them on at certain times of the day and only for a short amount of time,” said another resident of the area. “I hope that eventually we will be able to move out of the area and when we do we will take our lights with us. If not, perhaps we can pass them onto our children. Hopefully by then the city will be a safer place for people who have lights. Hopefully.”
Light bulb shipments ended in the city late last year, making the lighting situation even worse for those who have managed to retain their lighting implements.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
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