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COSTARICANEWS
| Thursday 02 September 2010 |
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Better
Lighting
Of Parks
and
Streets
To
Reduce
Crime In
Costa
Rica?
Better
lighting
of the
parks
and
streets
is
believed
to be
the
answer
to the
growing
insecurity
in Costa
Rica for
the
ministro
de
Seguridad,
José
María
Tijerino
and
local
authorities.
In the
United
States
like the
city of
Los
Angeles,
an
increase
in
illumination
of
streets
and
public
areas as
helped
decrease
incidents
of
crime,
the Wall
Street
Journal
reported
this
week.
The WSJ
report
indicates
that
crime
has
dropped
in Los
Angeles
by 17%
and in
areas
like
Joplin,
Misouri
the
illumination
of
streets
and
parks
has
reduced
crime by
47%
since
2007.
Agreeing
with
minister
Tijerino
is San
José
mayor,
Johnny
Araya,
who says
he is
working
on the
process
of
increasing
illumination
in the
downtown
core.
Araya
said the
Morazán,
España
and
Nacional
parks
(all in
the core
of San
José)
have
already
had
their
illumination
increased
and
added
patrols
by the
municipal
police
and that
parks
like the
Merced
should
be
better
lit in
the
coming
weeks,
while
the
improved
illumination
of Paseo
Colón
will
begin
next
year.
According
to Raúl
Rivera,
chief of
the
Fuerza
Pública
(police)
for San
José,
the
added
lighting
has
decreased
crime,
though
did not
provide
figures.
However,
the
people
don't
see it
that
way.
Speaking
to the
daily Al
Día, a
number
of
people
interviewed
said
that
"yes,
there
are more
police
in the
streets,
but they
stay
away
from the
parks".
Many
said
that
they
would
not dare
walk
through
a park
alone at
night.
The
Ministerio
de
Seguridad
says it
is
responding
to call
for more
security,
reinforcing
patrols
on the
Avenidas
and
Calles
between
5pm and
10pm and
midnight
on
Fridays
and from
9am on
Saturdays
and
Sundays.
Part of
the
Ministerio
de
Seguridad
plan
includes
the
assigning
of 50
police
officials
to
patrol
on
bicycles
along
the
streets
of
downtown
San
José, in
addition
to the
patrols
on foot,
cars and
motorcycles.
Visitors
to the
downtown
core
have
noted
the
increase
in
police
presence
in most
areas.
However,
many
believe
that the
police
in Costa
Rica are
useless
when it
comes to
foiling
crimes.
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