[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]With recent increases in the number of downtown muggings and assaults, several Madison officials are taking action by increasing the number of street lights on some campus-area streets.

City Council President Austin King and Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, requested the installation of four separate 100-watt street lights on both Spring Street and North Orchard Street.

The lights were scheduled to be installed Wednesday, but King said the rain may have delayed their installation. But even with the possible delays, King said he is confident the lights will be installed as soon as possible.

With the added light, King said criminals will not feel as comfortable committing crimes on these particular streets. He added the lights will help increase the city's overall sense of security.

"It certainly makes an area a less desirable place for a criminal to go," King said. "They generally prefer the darkness, and it makes individuals feel a lot safer."

King also said the city chose Spring Street and North Orchard Street for the lights because their poor lighting and visibility tagged them as possible criminal hot spots.

Although not as notorious as the newly improved Langdon Street, King said he wanted to prevent potential threats by installing these features before criminals realize the shortcomings of Spring Street's security.

"In terms of mugging issues, Spring Street has not been hit as hard as Langdon and others," he said. "But I don't think we can expect that to last. … It wouldn't have taken long for criminals to find out that Spring Street was an area with a lot of shadows and not a lot of light."

In the spirit of preventing crimes and putting a stop to areas of known criminal activity, the city has started implementing different procedures aimed at preventing the different wrongdoings throughout Madison.

George Twigg, spokesperson for the mayor, said the city has worked alongside King to increase visibility on city streets.

"We've taken a look at lighting and trimming back the trees in order to improve the visibility at night," he said. "We've also looked at increases in police presence along with broader approaches toward increasing safety throughout the city, especially at night."

With the city's newly founded intervention and prevention practices, King said the criminal activities that have recently plagued the area should now come to an abrupt halt.

"Madison is a safe community compared to a lot of other areas," King said. "And the key to that is addressing these issues; and I think this is a step in the right direction."

And at a time when many students have been left wondering why the city and the police are not taking action to prevent muggings and robberies, King's actions came just in time.

University of Wisconsin freshman Justyna Mosio said campus safety is something everyone should be worried about, especially females.

"I don't know what the city has planned in terms of preventing the muggings," Mosio said. "But it makes me wonder whether or not I'll be safe at night."