FLOWERS PREVENT CRIME

Citizens link the plunge in the number of burglaries in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, to the planting of flowers in seldom-used backstreets.

Planting of flowers was dramatically increased due to measures taken by the municipal government to beautify the ward in order to help prevent crime. The ward found that the number of burglaries has fallen to less than one-quarter of the previous year. Suginami had been a burglar's haven due to its high concentration of residential housing along narrow streets.

The municipal government conducted a survey in 2005 to find out why burglars target certain households. The local government noticed that of the 100 homes, only two of them had flowers in their entranceways and gardens.

The local government believes that when local residents use the alleys between their houses to take care of flowers or to enjoy them, they are also more likely to spot suspicious activities or suspicious people, a result it believes useful in crime prevention. Interested in the potential benefits of this strategy, requests and inquiries to visit the ward have poured in from municipalities around the country.

Regarding the situation as critical, the municipal government introduced ‘security beautification regulations’. They launched a campaign to have people plant flowers, and appealed to them to join a Hana Sakase Tai (Flower Blooming Squad). Presently, there are 981 registered residents participating in the project.

“By beautifying the streets and preventing crime we're killing two birds with one stone,” said Asako Sayama, 59, a housewife who is a member of a flower-planting team. “Through the activities, we're also bringing neighbors much closer together than before.”

Source: Yomiuri News, 2009-06-11