Another big NPS problem: unlit parks at night

This is a safety issue, because certain NPS "parks" are intra-neighborhood facilities that either serve transportation needs outside of park hours, abut residential areas, and/or end up being dark holes in the activity fabric that can serve as order vacuums and abet crime. (Also see this article, "The Jury's Out on Hotel's Lights; Dupont Circle Bulbs Divide Community," from the Post in 2001 with regard to Dupont Circle.)

Last weekend, a bicyclist was murdered, likely in a robbery attempt, coming home from work later at night (after midnight), in the vicinity of Sherman Circle on Kansas Avenue. The police department hasn't updated their website with a press release on the murder, but see this entry, "Catholic University Senior Fatally Shot At Sherman Circle DC," from the Hangover Helper and this, "DC Cyclist Shot on the Way Home From Work," from Washcycle.

This is personally very scary for me because when I travel to the Columbia Heights-Mt. Pleasant-Dupont Circle-Georgetown-Adams Morgan areas, my route takes me on Kansas Avenue from 3rd St. to 13th St. NW, right through this area. And I ride at all hours.

As I write, Delegate Norton is having a press conference at Sherman Circle, and she is calling for lights.

From email:

Norton to go to Sherman Circle to Encourage Lights in an NPS Park to Enhance Public Safety

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today will go to Sherman Circle, at the intersection of Kansas and Illinois Avenues NW at 3:00 p.m. to meet with D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and to inspect a National Park Service (NPS) park close to where a homicide occurred in Ward 4 over the weekend. The community is concerned about the absence of lights in the park. The Congresswoman said, “This park beautifies the neighborhood, but it is dark at night, making it almost impossible for neighbors to feel safe. I want to see if a few lights can make this park a welcoming venue.” Norton spoke to U.S. Park Police Chief Salvatore Lauro this afternoon and appreciates that the park police and NPS agreed to send representatives to the meeting at the park.

But this is a more general problem across the city, with many similar examples of potential problem areas. Of course, as areas improve, or in areas where there is greater residential density, there ends up being more positive public activity on the streets, which helps to discourage order vacuums.

But many NPS installations are located in areas where that isn't the case, and there should be neighborhood-based parks security plans in place to deal with the problem. Since the Park Police are so beleaguered and don't have enough staff anyway, lights in certain parks, depending on coming up with a categorization method/service profile matrix and making assessments and decisions, ought to occur.