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Sorry—not sorry for bringing up this topic, again. The number one priority of our chamber membership is public safety and we've seen how important adequate lighting is to the perception of safety when conducting Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) security surveys for local businesses. Absent good lighting, an area feels—and may be—unsafe.
Unfortunately, for many of our fellow Billings residents, that's likely how their neighborhood feels. In 2021, a National Police Services Survey was conducted in Billings, garnering 995 respondents. The survey showed over half don't have adequate lighting on their streets. It's no wonder that the survey also showed 1/4 of Billings residents don't feel safe in their own neighborhoods at night. Assuming that survey information is accurate and indicative of the larger Billings adult (18+) populace, it means approximately 23,000 people don't feel safe in their own neighborhoods at night. Frankly, that's too many.
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