thanks a bunch for taking the time to write! I'm happy you like the busted scene :D
what I meant with police lights was those icons that pop up when you step into a lighted area, you are then "seen" (raising the wanted-meter). If you're seen too many times in a row you get caught before entering the next building. It's not deeply explained in-game, but I needed some way to promote sneaking, and not just smash-and-grab every run (as my testers figured out and got a bit bored).
it's the one thing i can think of that might be too intricate for the rest of the feel of the game.