The head of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations is calling on Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and city officials to repair nearly a dozen street lights that he says likely contributed to three homicides in the Adams Morgan area in the past few weeks.
Terry Lynch, executive director of Downtown Cluster recently wrote to City Administrator Kevin Donahue asking for his office’s assistance to resolve “this basic safety issue,” which is substantiated by photos of busted street lights on street corners, in parks, and on school grounds.
“It is simply unacceptable that these lights are not working,” said Lynch in his letter to Donahue. “Having them out only heightens the risk to the students, families and teachers, and general public who are going about their lives at these locations.”
Lynch said eight street lights were found out along 18th Street NW, Florida Avenue NW, Harvard Street NW, and Kalorama Road NW. Nine exterior ground lights were found out at Marie Reed Elementary School, on 18th St NW.
Near H.D. Cooke Elementary School on 17th St NW, as well as, strings of lights running across Unity Park in front of the Line Hotel between Euclid St NW and Columbia Rd NW were also out.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said that she wasn’t aware of a problem with the lights in terms of crime, but she said people can report problems by calling 311.
With the community having three tragic deaths just this past week, Lynch tells a different story.
“The agencies responsible for these lights…. seem to have no sense of urgency to have these light assets working as they should,” he said.
Thank you. Steet lights now working at night is simply unacceptable and puts everyone at risk.