School won't provide adequate security lighting

[Jack Hammer]

My property adjoins a school which has refused to provide lighting for a certain
portion of their parking lot, despite the fact that the remainder of the school is brightly illuminated at all times.

As a result, various unseemly persons and juveniles have been deliberately taking advantage of this dark, shaded area for parking and fornication in their vehicles, as well as abuse of alcohol and other loitering activities after dark. Again, the school has explicitly refused all requests to provide adequate lighting, but continues to allow open-road access into its grounds at all hours.
I feel that this illicit activity
is harmful to the standards of the community as well as potentially dangerous to its
members, including myself as a neighbor and frequent user of the grounds, and that the school has a duty to provide adequate security lighting especially in proven problematic areas such as this one.
I live in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and would like to know my legal options to get results in this situation.


[This message has been edited by Jack Hammer (edited September 30, 2000).]

 

[HomeGuru]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jack Hammer:
My property adjoins a school which has refused to provide lighting for a certain
portion of their parking lot, despite the fact that the remainder of the school is brightly illuminated at all times.

As a result, various unseemly persons and juveniles have been deliberately taking advantage of this dark, shaded area for parking and fornication in their vehicles, as well as abuse of alcohol and other loitering activities after dark. Again, the school has explicitly refused all requests to provide adequate lighting, but continues to allow open-road access into its grounds at all hours.
I feel that this illicit activity
is harmful to the standards of the community as well as potentially dangerous to its
members, including myself as a neighbor and frequent user of the grounds, and that the school has a duty to provide adequate security lighting especially in proven problematic areas such as this one.
I live in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and would like to know my legal options to get results in this situation.


[This message has been edited by Jack Hammer (edited September 30, 2000).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are the grounds owned by a public shcool or a private school? Call the police every night and make a report if you have to. Depending on the ownership and jurisdiction of the school, you have to go to the highest office in the DOE, etc. and file your written complaints. Why not install your own high watt flood and halogen lights and illuminate the dark areas until the matter is resolved. You can litigate if no action is taken to resolve the issues. Request that the school provide lighting, security and chain the parking lot.

 

[Jack Hammer]

It's a public school, but the area that abuts my property is not the area in question so I can't light it myself.
The school has plenty of money to spend on things they don't need or use, but not on responsibility for them.

 

[HomeGuru]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jack Hammer:
It's a public school, but the area that abuts my property is not the area in question so I can't light it myself.
The school has plenty of money to spend on things they don't need or use, but not on responsibility for them.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, sounds like the same story in most areas. There are some schools that do not have money so texbooks are shared by students and teachers spend their own money buying school supplies.

Use your creative mind to come up with ideas on how to resolve the specific problem that you have. One thing I would do is video tape all the cars, people etc. then put the photos on a website. It is important to get the vehicle license plates and the faces of the subjects. Install a sign at the entrance to the parking lot stating this area under "night vision video surveillance".

 

[Jack Hammer]

No, this school is NOT hurting for money, they simply are refusing to spend the money where it's needed, but would rather spend the money in ways which make it worse.

I simply want to know which government offices are responsible for enforcing such security requirements, and the legal channels to bring them into play. I am fairly sure they are violating code, and definitely state statute.

 

[HomeGuru]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jack Hammer:
No, this school is NOT hurting for money, they simply are refusing to spend the money where it's needed, but would rather spend the money in ways which make it worse.

I simply want to know which government offices are responsible for enforcing such security requirements, and the legal channels to bring them into play. I am fairly sure they are violating code, and definitely state statute.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Contact the Michigan State DOE (Department of Education) and the Office of the Attorney General. Have you met with the school principal and the district superintendent?

 

[Tracey]

Look, you can try to get the legal system to force the school into doing what you wnat. You'll give yourself an ulcer & be a bad guy because the school will spend lots of money on legal fees fighting you. OR, you can start writing letters to the editor in which you name names, give times/dates/license plates. Get your neighbors to do the same. Hand out pamphlets to the parents dropping their kids off at school. Make the school look bad enough & they'll put in some lights just to shut you up. Unless there's a law DIRECTLY on point, the political method will work faster too.

------------------
This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.

 

[aldaron]

Call your council person about getting extra patrols to the area, or police chief.

 

[Zigner]

Call your council person about getting extra patrols to the area, or police chief.

You don't think this was resolved sometime in the last 12+ years?

 

[You Are Guilty]

This has got to be a new record, no?

 

[aldaron]

Good point, time does fly by.

 

[Zigner]

This has got to be a new record, no?

If not, then it's in the top 2

 

[Antigone*]

Awww man, I was going to ask Jack where exactly this parking lot is. Heck I was looking forward to some illicit activities with Mr. Tigi

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Awww man, I was going to ask Jack where exactly this parking lot is. Heck I was looking forward to some illicit activities with Mr. Tigi

Heck, As much as Jack was watching those kids fornicate, he is probably half way through his sentence.