South LA residents say broken streetlights have left their neighborhood in the dark for more than a year
South LA residents frustrated over broken streetlights
For more than a year and a half, residents in a South LA neighborhood say they’ve been left in the dark due to broken streetlights.
LOS ANGELES - Residents on a South Los Angeles block say they’ve been dealing with broken streetlights for more than a year and a half, and despite repeated calls to the city, the lights still haven’t been repaired.
The streetlights on the 100 block of West 58th Street are not working, leaving parts of the neighborhood nearly pitch black at night, residents say.
What we know:
Longtime resident Dennis, who asked that his face not be shown and that his full name not be revealed, says he has repeatedly contacted the city about the problem.
But instead of getting a repair, Dennis says he’s been bounced from one department or phone number to another.
"You call, they’ll send you to this person, then you have to call this person," Dennis said. "Then they’ll give you a number to another person, so just give up."
Dennis says the lack of lighting is more than an inconvenience. He worries that people walking through the darkened area could approach residents without being seen.
"You don’t see nothing, you don’t see no one, so somebody could walk up behind you and you won’t know," he said.
What they're saying:
Dennis says the problem is especially concerning because there is a homeless encampment about a block away.
He says he and other neighbors have had problems with people coming into the neighborhood and believes the lack of lighting is making residents feel even less secure.
"Nobody wants to walk up and down here at night," Dennis said.
He says residents are simply asking the city to address a basic service they pay for through their taxes.
"All of us pay taxes," Dennis said. "What are those taxes used for? If you’re paying taxes, you should be able to at least have lights."
What's next:
Dennis says he wants city officials to listen to residents, repair the broken streetlights and make the neighborhood safer at night.
FOX 11 reached out to the city’s Department of Public Works for information about the broken lights and whether repairs are planned. The department had not responded as of publication.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with South LA residents impacted by the broken streetlights.