ALBANY, GA -
Some community activists are more upset than ever that dozens of street lights are not working. They want them fixed soon.
Members of the Albany Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association
said they were surprised by a story we aired Tuesday when Water Gas and Light officials said all street lights that had been reported out had been repaired.
In October, they turned in a list of 76 street lights in downtown and west Albany that were out or flickering and most are still not working.
After seeing our story, Citizens Police Academy Alumni went back to street lights they marked almost four months ago and most were still out.
Darrell Pantone saw our Tuesday story about people in Albany concerned about street lights and crime and said he was shocked when he heard this.
"I'm so pleased to say that as of today, we have put in new bulbs and repaired any bulbs that have been out in the community," said Albany Water Gas and Light Commission Assistant General Manager Lorie Farkas.
"No. I was very upset about it," said Darrell PantoneAlbany Citizen Police Academy Alumni Assoc. Chaplain.
Pantone decided then to check the street lights he and other members of the Albany Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association had tagged with Water Gas and Light ribbon and reported October 13. He knew this one in front of his business on Baker Street was still out and untouched.
"You can see the other ribbon has faded, so I'm going to put another ribbon on it, just in case," said Pantone.
They then returned to the rest of their list.
"We checked 76 of the lights that had been marked and over 55 of them were still out," said Pantone.
Many of those ribboned poles are in downtown Albany, including a couple right by the Water Gas and Light entrance.
"It seems like they could see these lights out when they leave work or come into work," said Pantone.
Farkas told us Friday a member of the citizen's group contacted her, and she explained she had never received their original list but then he would not fax it to her. So today we gave her the list.
"He just wanted to argue. And that isn't getting street lights repaired. You've now given me the list. I will certainly hand walk it out to our light director and our light superintendent. And we will get these lights replaced," said Farkas.
The Alumni Association says they believe street lights are a crime deterrent, if they work.
"We spent several hours out marking those lights. And it took a lot of time. And I'd like the city to get on them a little bit faster than what they are going at," said Pantone.
"We certainly want our street lights on. We are not here not to be in the fore front of safety," said Farkas.
It may have been coincidence, but about an hour after we shot this story, a Water Gas and Light lineman was repairing this street light on Stuart Avenue.
Officials said again today if you have a street light in your neighborhood that is out or flickering tie a ribbon around the pole to mark it, and call Water Gas and Light and report it.
The 76 street lights that the Police Academy Alumni reported are mostly downtown and in west Albany. They ask other concerned citizens to join them in reporting problem street lights to fight crime.
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
