HARLEM — The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has completed $4.8 million lighting project at the Polo Grounds Towers in Harlem, the agency announced Thursday.
“Increasing safety is at the core of improving the lives of NYCHA residents," said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. "That’s why we are implementing a comprehensive security plan — more lighting, additional security cameras, and improved coordination between NYCHA and the Police Department — to do this.”
The installation, which includes 341 new light fixtures at the Polo Grounds, is part of the Mayor’s Action Plan (MAPS) to reduce crime at 15 NYCHA development sites.
“Good lighting deters crime and promotes public safety,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.
Let there be light at #PoloGrounds! One of 155 new pole lights. https://t.co/TIqWtQS2VW pic.twitter.com/dsGUUpB1Fl
— NYCHA (@NYCHA) March 10, 2016
When the project was first announced in July 2015, residents rallied to say that lights were not enough and demanded better conditions at the Polo Grounds.
Earlier that summer, Jordan Barber, an aspiring chef was killed at the Polo Grounds while trying to break up a fight at a basketball tournament in Rucker Park.
Crime in the Polo Grounds is down 63.6 percent in the first two months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, according to NYPD data.
