Peoria approves more money for violence prevention. Here's how the $1.2M will be used
Peoria will spend $1.2 million on removing shrubs, trees and overgrowth from vacant lots in crime hotspots around the city as part of a violence prevention plan that will also include funding for alley and porch lighting in high-crime areas.
The violence prevention program, which subscribes to a concept of environmental redesign as a means to mitigate crime, was unanimously approved by the City Council Tuesday night. The members lauded the plan as a "wholistic approach" to violence prevention.
In 2024, $250,000 will be spent on adding lighting to alleys and porches in high crime areas of the city and another $350,000 will be spent to clear vegetation and overgrowth from vacant lots. The same expenditures will occur in 2025.
The money is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. This will be the last tranche of violence prevention money spent by Peoria from ARPA funds. Peoria had previously spent $700,000 and $1.5 million on two previous plans that focused on human-based solutions primarily involving youth programs.
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At the root of the concept is a simple idea, more lighting and less vegetation in vacant lots will give criminals less places to hide.
Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria told the City Council said this plan was important to the "bigger picture" of preventing crime in Peoria.
Community Development Director Joe Dulin said while the concept might not be something necessarily thought of as a crime reducer, there is evidence that shows programs like this work and can change a neighborhood.
"If you are worried about your safety would you rather walk in a really dark, dense area of a forest or would you rather walk on a soccer field?" Dulin said. "That's what we're trying to do with this money is take down the ability for people to hide behind things, to lighten up an area."
Councilmember Denise Jackson said this money will be "well spent." Jackson has long campaigned for increased alley lighting in South Peoria, which is in her 1st District.
"By lighting the areas, by keeping the brush cut, that sends the message to folks that we're paying attention, we're watching and don't think you can come in here and just dump on our community because we are paying attention," Jackson said.
Councilmember Chuck Grayeb, of the 2nd District, agreed that the additional lighting and lot cleanup will go a long way toward preventing violence and will have a positive psychological impact on the neighborhoods.
"Lighting is very important, people will do things under the cloak of darkness that they would not do under the full view of everybody and with a lot of light, so I think we're doing the right thing here," Grayeb said.
Councilmember Tim Riggenbach, who represents the 3rd District, said this program would be a signal to people in those crime hot spots that the city is paying attention to their concerns.
"I think it's really important for us to see that concentration where the hot spots are," Riggenbach said. "....The alley lighting is going to be critical and the scrub tree removal, please don't roll your eyes at that because that is going to be an impactful thing for the folks in the neighborhoods."
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Will cleaning up vacant lots, new lighting prevent violence in Peoria?
