CLEVELAND — For five years, a nearby McGowan Park resident said the lights surrounding the area in his Southwest Cleveland neighborhood haven’t been working, so he asked News 5 for help.
You may remember this park from a shocking 2019 killing that happened there.
Sheila Wallace was shot twice in January of 2019. Neither a motive nor a relationship between Wallace and her killer has been identified. Her killer was sentenced to 15 years in prison in late October.
RELATED: 'This can allow her to be at peace': Cleveland man sentenced for killing woman walking her dog
I’ve been speaking with a resident who lives near McGowan Park for the last few weeks. He requested anonymity for fear of his physical safety.
He said he has lived in his home for four decades but has decided to pack his bags as criminal activity in the area continues to worsen.
“Better safe than sorry,” he said.
He described the McGowan Park neighborhood as “extremely bad, but slowly getting better.”
Surveillance video of his provided to News 5 shows one man brandishing a gun near the park while another clip shows a different man checking vehicles to see if they’re unlocked.
“A lot of drug activity in this neighborhood. A lot people milling around all hours of the night. It's kind of depressing,” he added.
He previously said a deterrent for crime would be more lighting in and around McGowan Park.
We stopped by the park in October and saw numerous light fixtures, but not a single light was consistently working then.
Two lights would flicker on for about 10 to 15 seconds before shutting off again.
The McGowan Park light fixtures are owned by First Energy.
At the time, a First Energy spokesperson said the company would look into it.
Within 24 hours of News 5’s coverage on the matter, the anonymous resident said crews were out assessing the situation.
“The very next day, the Illuminating Company was out here and assessing the work that needed to be done and every day for about a week they've been here tree trimming,” the resident we interviewed said. “It took a lot of men a lot, a lot of hours to make it happen, but they did it.”
“We’ve addressed the lighting issues at McGowan Park to help improve the safety and well-being of park goers, particularly after dark. We appreciate the City of Cleveland's support in addressing this matter quickly and remind the public that reporting streetlight outages is a critical step in our efforts to make timely repairs.”
With the lights, he said there has been less foot traffic at night, and he no longer feels the need to turn his vehicle’s high beams on when he comes home.
“I’m elated. It’s just a whole different place,” he added. “I would like to thank the team at News 5, Kaylee Olivas, your cameraman, Mark and everyone who was instrumental in making this happen. I truly appreciate it.”
As a reminder, to report a streetlight outage, please call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or fill out the online form. Customers will need:
- Their name and phone number (in case FirstEnergy needs more information).
- Address where the streetlight is located (nearest house or business address and the nearest cross street).
- Number on the utility pole.
- What is wrong with the streetlight (damaged pole, broken light fixture, light is off at night, on during the day, or flickers).
At News 5, we follow through. If you need help, please email us at newsdesk@wews.com or give us a call at 216-431-3700.
