District of Columbia: Congresswoman takes Park Service to task

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her letter to National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar identifying possible risks to public safety, and recommending low-cost, common-sense measures to alleviate them. The Congresswoman's return visit was prompted by reports that the Sculpture Garden, a popular tourist attraction that is part of the Hirshhorn Museum, was becoming a magnet for loitering. When she arrived this week to verify the reports, she was troubled to find the Sculpture Garden was dark, and that many lights on the Mall itself, in the area between Third and Seventh Streets, were still out, and many others were so dirty they shed too little light.Norton's letter to the Park Service makes three main requests: number the poles to enable Park Police to report daily which lights are out or dimmed; light the Sculpture Garden not only for safety reasons but also because, when lighted, it is a magnificent tourist attraction that will increase tourism; and put in place a system for keeping the light covers clean to permit full lighting.

Lights provide uninterrupted public safety unlike police, Norton noted. "Any unlit place is a possible refuge for crime," she said, noting that the Sculpture Garden is not only dark but also recessed below the ground. "The Mall has been crime-free, and we want to keep it that way. The District's tourism revenue and our local economy depend on visits to the Mall."

Norton has been working to improve safety at the Mall since attacks in 2006 showed security deficiencies. Norton's bill, H.R. 3880, "The Mall Revitalization and Redesignation Act of 2007" would provide for improved amenities such as clean, flushable, convenient toilets, and tables and chairs for lunch, but she said proper lighting on the Mall should not require an act of Congress.