Budget cuts in Colorado Springs claim their first life

It appears that some of the worst potential effects of Colorado Springs budget cuts are already coming true. A 62-year-old man identified as Esteban Garcia was shot and killed last Sunday in a botched robbery as he left his son’s business. The parking lot in which the incident took place has been dark ever since the streetlight above it was turned off by city official as part of the city’s money saving plan. Garcia’s son, Saul Garcia, is the owner of El Ranchito, a local market and taqueria. The adjacent business owner, Gaspar Martinez, blamed the darkness for the incident, as well as other increased crime in the area. He says the robber jumped Garcia when he was going to his car, demanding money. When Garcia didn’t have money, he was shot. 

Colorado Springs has now turned off over 10,000 streetlights in an attempt to save $1.2 million out of the city’s budget. City spokesperson John Leavitt said, “To what degree light was a factor in this particular crime, I couldn’t comment on that other than to say we’re working hard to try to turn off the streetlights in an effective, efficient and safe manner.” The effect the lack of streetlights had was very clear to Gaspar Martinez, however, who says he now sees groups of people gathering at night below the darkened lamp. “Being that it’s dark, people think they can do whatever they want,” Martinez said. “People who do crime are noticing it’s dark out there.”

Streetlights have a direct impact on crime. In a 2001 study by Kate Painter Ph.D. and David Farrington Ph.D., both from the slacker school known as Cambridge University, two British cities were analyzed to see the effect on crime after streetlights were improved. In the first town, “crimes decreased by 41% in the experimental area, compared with a 15% decrease in a control area,” and in the second city, “crimes decreased by 43% in the experimental area and by 45% in two adjacent areas, compared with a decrease of only 2% in two control areas.” Greater lighting decreased crime by illuminating areas that criminals might otherwise have infiltrated, but also by creating a greater sense of community and togetherness.

In fact, the study went one step further to show that city officials may be even more wrongheaded than previously thought. If Colorado Springs’ goal is to save money, then turning off streetlights may push the city in the exact opposite direction. Streelighting, the study concluded, “can be extremely cost-effective.” Crime costs cities money. When crime goes up, the cost to police, fire, administrative services, and city residence all go up too. In both of the experimental cities, savings from the drop in crime after streetlights were improved were 2.4 to 10 times greater than the cost of the lights themselves. The study concludes that, “improving street lighting is relatively cheap and crime is relatively costly… improved street lighting can reduce crime and … the financial benefits can enormously outweigh the financial costs.” You have to wonder what numbers city officials were looking at when the decision to turn off the lights was made.

The shooting of Esteban Garcia was in the Southeastern part of Colorado Springs, a less affluent part of town, but because of a “streetlight adoption program” it’s possible that richer neighborhoods will be able to pay to keep their lights on while poorer neighborhoods won’t. Now, however, it appears the city of Colorado Springs is taking care of that already. As the Gazette reported, “City officials say they mistakenly left all the streetlights on around the Broadmoor resort and the affluent Old North End neighborhood despite darkening about a third in almost every other area of Colorado Springs.” City Council member Sean Paige went even farther, questioning whether the decision to leave the lights on was a mistake or done intentionally. He pointed to an email by field engineering supervisor Jim Thomas who wrote, “We hoped to protect the Utility and the City Council by not turning off these lights while the homeowners are still paying for them on their taxes.” Paige rightly called out that assertion, saying “I read it as at least leaving a strong impression in my mind that this was a conscious choice, and they did it to protect City Council and the Utility board,” Paige said. “Protect them from what? I can only assume what they meant was protect them from the wrath of certain groups or neighbor groups or something.”

So Esteban Garcia is shot in a dark parking lot as he walks to his car on the south side of town, while on the north side the Broadmoor resort gets to keep 100% of its regal, ornamental streetlights. Call it Tea Party Justice. Streetlights, and residents’ personal safety, have been just one casualty of the ideology that says investing in our community is bad and we’re better off alone. The effects of this ideology are already clearly visible after a month or so of the city’s plan going into effect. If Colorado Springs continues on its current path it will hardly be a recognizable community at all. If we can’t come to terms with paying some taxes, being okay with that, and putting that money into the basic services to make all the city’s neighborhoods safe, the story of Esteban Garcia will not be the last. If you haven’t called the city council or mayor’s office yet, do it now. Because we’re all part of this city, and whatever lights they were “accidentally” keeping on around the CC neighborhood are about to get turned off.