Walking on Sheridan Road on Tuesday night, Evanston officials and Northwestern students stopped to note a burned-out street lamp, a feature making an already dark street feel even less safe.
This “Off Campus Light Walk” was held to address one of NU’s most recent and pressing problems: student safety. About 25 students, administrators and city officials came together to find areas in need of additional lighting.
Representatives from NU Police Department, Evanston Police Department, the city of Evanston, Greek life, Student Affairs, Residential Life and many other groups gathered in front of Scott Hall at 7:00 p.m. where they were given clipboards and paired with members of Associated Student Government. The Light Walk was once an annual event, but had been postponed indefinitely the past two years. It returned this year and brought together key parties dedicated toward improving visibility.
Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington said participation is meant to “address the rising concerns of student safety vis-a-vis lighting.”
“This is a combined effort and also a city endeavor,” Eddington said. “We want to make the area welcoming and safe for everyone.”
Having police support is a valuable resource that can provide important information about problematic, high-crime areas, said Jilian Lopez, ASG’s vice president of external relations. Attendees were asked to rank their “top 10 priority locations” on the walk. The compiled data will be brought to city officials, and NU and Evanston will then develop a plan to improve the lighting situation in the areas of concern. These observations will also be used to improve SafeRide.
“The University has purchased six to eight blue lights for the city,” said Lucile Krasnow, special assistant for community relations. “So if students identified a need for more blue lights, the University is more than willing.”
Lopez led the walk within the perimeter of Lincoln Street, Ridge Avenue, Church Street and Sheridan Road.
“The point is for all of us to be together, walking on the routes taken by students and asking ourselves, ‘Would we feel safe walking in this area alone?'” the Weinberg senior said. “Being in the situation and discussing it is a very good place to start.”
Targeted areas include the west side of Sheridan Road and areas near the El stops on Noyes and Foster streets, addressing the needs of visitors and commuting students.
Since off-campus property is not part of NU, final jurisdiction on the purchase and placement of street lamps and the blue light emergency phones rests with the city. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, who also attended, said Evanston’s upcoming budget cuts of a proposed $8 million this year will be the biggest obstacle in improving lighting. NU also faces resistance from Evanston residents to the placement of too many lights in their neighborhoods.
“Residents don’t want their neighborhood lit up like a murder scene,” Tisdahl said. “We have to find a balance to keep students feeling safe and allowing residents to sleep at 2 a.m.”
Although the city aims to take proper action and precautions, students must also cooperate to raise overall safety, Eddington said. Half of all NU burglaries occur because of an unlocked door.
Lopez said the lighting issue also affects students living on campus.
“For off-campus parties, noise violations have been the focus,” she said. “But an important side effect is that a lot of students walking around off-campus without sufficient lighting is a disconcerting situation.” [email protected][email protected]
