DTE turns out the streetlights in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - DTE is pulling the plug on most of the lights inside the city as part of a deal to settle $4 million in debt.

According to a DTE spokesman Highland Park agreed to let crews remove 1,400 street lamps as a way to cut its monthly costs. 500 streetlights remain. None of the lighting on Woodward is affected.

DTE began removing the lights this summer. Residents say the changes made an immediate impact. Some neighbors believe crooks are already taking advantage of the cover of darkness.

Highland Park’s mayor, Hubert Yopp, told Action News he will be meeting with DTE to work on ways to restore some of the lighting – but he also acknowledges Highland Park’s bleak balance sheet.

Yopp also said the decreased lighting shouldn’t impact crime because he claims that a vast majority of burglaries occur during the day when residents are away at work.