Security professionals who question this view need only ask themselves whether a person looks more suspicious standing under a light or in the dark with a flashlight. Yet in remote factory areas and large municipal parks, security designers continue to provide bright lighting. The alternative to the current lighting strategy is not necessarily darkness. Technology is now available that will supply white light only when it is needed by using motion sensitive devices. It also has the ability to attract attention to an area when attention is required by reducing the public's immunity to light.
Witnesses can more easily identify culprits because the light reacts to any movement in the area.
Not only can motion sensitive devices be used in conjunction with conventional white light sources, but their effectiveness for security purposes can be greatly increased by having them activate rapidly flashing strobe lights when an intruder is detected. Not only will this surprise and disorient the would-be criminal, but it will also draw immediate attention to the perpetrator for blocks or even miles around. Street, park, commercial, and factory lighting on private and public land should all be considered part of the same security and safety strategy. Lighting a roadway in a remote factory area for vehicular traffic makes sense. Lighting all the buildings adjacent to this roadway that are not in use after hours does not make sense and reduces the effectiveness of streetlights.