Chester's lightbulb moment in crime-fighting

The young people in red T-shirts jumping up and down on the streets of Chester and waving over drivers weren't collecting for charity or offering to wash cars.

They had come up with a bright idea: giving away lightbulbs in an effort to reduce crime in their beleaguered Delaware County city.

"It's about making the city better. That's all we're trying to do," said Jada Pyatt, 14, a member of Chester Youth Council, which launched its Lights On campaign this week after learning that well-lighted communities were safer.

With the debut of the city's new soccer stadium this weekend, Chester's long-standing struggles with crime are in the national spotlight. On Saturday, Mayor Wendell Butler declared a state of emergency after four people were murdered in eight days; the City Council on Wednesday extended the measure through July 23.

The 30-member youth organization had planned to hand out lightbulbs in August, but the recent flare-up in violence pushed the group into action.

"We wanted to help the mayor," said Deitra Sewell, 23. "A lot of our young people are dying on the streets of Chester, and we learned that violence doesn't occur in well-lit areas."

The group took every cent in its budget - $750 - and went to Home Depot to buy about 800 bulbs, said senior project coordinator Ieasa Nichols-Harmon. Coincidentally, a Home Depot employee who used to work for Peco Energy Co. suggested the youths call the electric company to see if it would pitch in.

Peco did more than that, donating 1,050 60-watt, energy-efficient bulbs.

On Wednesday, the kids waved and shouted at passing motorists at three spots in the four-square-mile city. They urged people to use the bulbs for outdoor lights and to keep them on from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., which coincides with the curfew instituted in five high-crime areas under the state of emergency.

Most people were happy to get the free bulbs, members said.

"Everyone was very friendly and very grateful," said Pyatt, a volunteer who was recently elected the Youth Council's junior city mayor.

Pyatt started in Just Pizza's parking lot at Ninth Street and Holland Avenue. When her group ran out of bulbs, she scooted over to Sunoco A-Plus at Ninth and Kerlin Streets to join other volunteers. A third crew was stationed at Grace Community Church at 22d Street and Edgemont Avenue.

"There's a lot of good going on in Chester, but there's also crime, unfortunately," said Pyatt, a Youth Council member for two years. "We're just trying to make it a better city, not just for youth, but for adults, too."

Jameel Cleveland, 21, said the group didn't intend to switch off its efforts.

"This is going to be ongoing throughout the summer," he said. "Everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home."