TOLEDO, Ohio — A north Toledo man reached out to Call 11 for Action about neighborhood safety, specifically for kids.
Alfonso Narvaez, a community activist in north Toledo, asked for help getting streetlights installed so children don't have to walk to school at Woodward High School in the dark.
"During the winter months, they're walking in the dark, it's completely pitch back, there's no street lights at all," he said.
He said the problem area includes Central Avenue to Galena Street to Champlain Street.
"It's been going on for a number of years," Narvaez said.
Narvaez said he and his neighbors have been successful getting problems like these resolved in the past.
"A number of years ago we worked on the Greenbelt Parkway lights," he said. "There was at least 100 that were out. So, we worked, we used social media to get the issue resolved. Finally, the city of Toledo was able to replace the streetlights. We saw a drop in crime, also."
This time around, Narvaez said Toledo Edison has been unresponsive to his requests for more street lights.
Call 11 for Action reached out to Toledo Edison. Lauren Siburkis, the company's supervisor for state and regulatory communications, emailed a statement in response.
"We understand and appreciate the community's desire to install additional streetlights in the area to keep children and pedestrians safe. Residents should reach out to the City of Toledo to communicate their concerns. Then, the City would need to inform us (Toledo Edison) of their request to get the streetlight installation process rolling. We would then assess the area and determine what actions and materials would be needed to get the job completed."
Call 11 for Action reached out to the city of Toledo and did not hear back by the time of this publication.
Narvaez said with more lights, he believes the entire neighborhood would be safer.
"We know that when neighborhoods have adequate street lights, streets, better things happen. Our neighborhoods are better."
More on WTOL: