Bandung Accelerates Street Lighting to Boost Security Amid High Crime Rate

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan is reallocating the city budget to accelerate the repair and provision of public street lighting (PJU) in several areas of Bandung that still lack adequate illumination. The move is a focus for the Bandung City Government amid the need to improve the public’s sense of security, especially in areas with insufficient lighting that are considered prone to criminal activity. “Regarding dark roads, I admit we are currently processing the budget in such a way so that they can be brightly lit again soon,” Farhan said. Farhan is targeting all streetlights along Jalan Soekarno-Hatta to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2026. This road is a priority because it is frequently complained about by the public and has several spots requiring attention from a security perspective. “I am also very worried every night, especially on Jalan Soekarno-Hatta, including the flyover area and its surroundings. That is one of the vulnerable points, as is the Kiaracondong area. In fact, I once personally helped secure a group of muggers in that area,” Farhan stated. The effort to strengthen street lighting comes amid heightened concern over public space security in Bandung. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2025 recorded Bandung as the area with the highest crime risk in West Java, with 192 crime incidents per 100,000 residents. During that period, the police received 2,675 crime reports, meaning a crime occurred on average every 2.2 hours. Kristian Widya Wicaksono, a public policy analyst from Parahyangan Catholic University (Unpar), said that robbery can be influenced by various factors, including economic conditions, weak supervision, and the existence of organised groups. He assessed that street lighting can be part of a crime prevention strategy. Through the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach, good lighting is considered capable of increasing visibility, natural surveillance, and the public’s sense of security. “Therefore, the installation of public street lighting should be part of a pre-planned strategy, not merely a response to heightened public attention,” he said. However, Kristian emphasised that improving street lighting is not the only solution to tackling robbery. He stated that security policy must be supported by various other strategies. “If implementation is only accelerated after robbery cases come to light, then this needs to be evaluated as part of the policy-making process. Ideally, the government should use crime data, crime mapping, and risk analysis as the basis for determining development priorities, so that policies are preventive, not reactive,” he asserted. The Bandung City Government’s plan to process the budget for strengthening street lighting in several locations is expected to be part of efforts to improve the safety and comfort of residents, especially in areas that still lack lighting. This condition affects the public’s sense of security when carrying out activities, particularly at night. Singer and disc jockey Hana Claudia admitted she is more vigilant when travelling at night due to concerns about street crime. “It happened because I was watching a live screening, and there are already many muggers in Bandung. Because it was a late-night screening that went on until 4 am, and I had work the next day, I couldn’t stay until the end. I wanted to go with friends, but in the end, I had to book an ojek escort,” she said. Claudia even booked three online motorcycle taxi drivers so she could travel home in a convoy. “If I only booked one, I wouldn’t want to put the driver at risk. So I booked three so we could all be safe,” she said. She also recounted an experience of feeling followed in the Cikutra area and ultimately chose to head to a housing complex equipped with CCTV cameras. “I was once followed by a mugger. When I got to the Cikutra area, I was followed there. I ended up going straight into a housing complex. Fortunately, there were lots of CCTVs there. But it seemed like it wasn’t actually a mugger, more like some mischievous guys,” she said.