Yes, These London Businesses Hope Painting Baby Faces on Their Stores Will Reduce Crime
- Posted on August 29, 2012 at 11:58am by
Liz Klimas
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The store fronts of shops in southeast London were badly damaged after the riots in 2011. In an effort to clean up and prevent future crime, the Green’s End stores are trying an experiment with murals showing the of babies.
Not just any babies faces either — local babies were painted on the shutters of store fronts as part of the Babies of the Borough experiment, according to BBC.
(Image: YouTube screenshot)
BBC reports Tara Austin with the advertising agency in the U.K. that initiated the experiment saying “evidence suggests that babies’ faces, the round cheeks and the big eyes, promote a caring response in human beings.”
Zaffar Awan, who owns a mobile phone shop that was attacked by looters in 2011, said a little boy named Max is painted on his store’s shutters and he has seen those walking by smile at the scene.
“I wish we could keep the shutters down and open the shop at the same time,” Awan said to BBC. “That would be ideal.”
This time-lapsed video shows an artist painting one of the baby faces:
The video’s description states that the project will be evaluated by comparing public crime statistics in the area before and after the project.
“We hope an increased sense of pride will lead to a sense of belonging and a drop in crime stats,” the video’s description says.
Here’s a second time-lapse showing the artwork being done:
BBC notes this is not the first time the city has experimented with behavioral modification by changing the environment. Controversial sound emitting devices — the Mosquito Anti-Loitering Security Device — is used in some areas to prevent groups from congregating with its annoying noise. Other less controversial audio tactics include playing classical music, which was said to reduce crime in metro stations. BBC also reports some areas have installed pink lighting that is said to accentuate teens’ acne, causing them to avoid those areas as well.
The Babies of the Borough project hopes this will be an inoffensive way to reduce crime in areas prone to it.
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heeltar
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:13pmthe galactic stupidity of these people is mind numbing. Let the hard working good citizens own weapons and allow them to use them and the crime rate would plummet like a rock in a well. Just a few examples is all it would take.
Report Post »Drahcir
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:57pmTHIS
BOOK:
“A
LAND
FIT
FOR
CRIMINALS,” by David Fraser,
exposes the brutality applied
against British citizens, using
FAKE JUSTICE, as explained in
this City Journal book review:
Real Crime, Fake Justice
http://www.city-journal.org/printable.php?id=2054
Please pass the link along along to Beck.
It’s a mind-blowing, truth-telling
Report Post »report on the degree of MENTAL
ILLNESS progressives/liberals
are capable of applying here in
the U.S.
TheLeftMadeMeRight
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:24amThese are British babies; they come out hands first palms up and open, as if reaching for their entitlements. Bout as but ugly as the queen mums bum too. They obviously photo-shopped out the bad teeth too.
Note: Ah it’s so nice to take out my frustrations on a whole other nation.
Report Post »freelancer91
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:51amThe eyes are too close together. That really ****** me off. Kinda makes me want to rob a convenience store…..
Report Post »rafa2design
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 6:40pmMaybe they should start painting shadows of Batman in the alleys too.
Report Post »hades3
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:47pmThis is the last ,(weakest) form of defense , after people are no longer allowed to keep their weapons.
Report Post »Proponents of this method can’t really be serious. This is a joke right ?
matamoros
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 5:39pma rigid index finger and verbal tsk tsk, should suffice to put any thug in his place.
anymore than that would be unwarranted and out of line
Report Post »republic2011
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:29pmHmmmm… “babies’ faces, the round cheeks and the big eyes” seems to do nothing to avert abortionists, child molesters, child abusers, etc. These guys are reaching. Give the shop owners the ability to arm themselves and you’ll see crime drop significantly. You may see some shootings, but you won’t have as much crime.
Report Post »Master_and_Commander
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 4:12pmOh geez, those look absolutely disgusting… reduce crime? Lol
Report Post »Larry E
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 3:38pmThis strikes me as being an awful lot like the “gun free zone” signs, which I guess people think will prevent armed criminals from practicing their trade. Some sociologist with too much time and/or money on their hands likely thought this up too.
Report Post »Wool-Free Vision
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:16pmAm I the only one who thinks those particular babies all look creepy? It’s as if the artist who painted them is expressing his own psychological disorders in the eyes of the babies he paints.
I don’t know anything about the artist, but his work is eerily reminiscent of schizophrenic artist Louis Wain’s crazy-eyed cats.
Report Post »Wool-Free Vision
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:22pmOops, I also meant to add a big congratulations to London for making such great strides toward becoming the true image of George Orwell’s worst nightmares.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 9:44pmDamn, that one ugly baby!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:58pmI’m beginning to think we shoulda let the Germans finish these pansies off………
Report Post »00gabooga
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:57pmPphhh, that won’t work! Now they not only get to rob your store, but promote their pro-choice baby-killing views at the same time!
Report Post »USPATRIOT101
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:44pmThis is just plain idiotic. Appeasement of evil never works. Look up Neville Chamberlain. Now that was one hell of a lesson to learn about appeasement.
Report Post »RANGER1965
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:40pmThe assumption is that mature people with empathy will think twice about destroying windows and damaging stores with paintings of beautiful babies on it, because to do so will make them feel (in a small way), like they are destroying a child.
Lets examine the London rioters for a moment.
Type 1: Adult hardcore communist: He will see these murals as an insult to his intelligence, and nothing more than emotional propaganda. He will gleefully destroy them, and likely actively seek them out.
Type 2: Left leaning students, drunk and having fun: When you’re young, drunk, you have no empathy, and not much intelligence. They will destroy anything just for the fun of it.
Type 3: Criminals preying on both the protesters, and the shop owners. To them it’s not personal, it’s all about practicality. If a mural stands between them and loot. Pfttt!
Will any of this idiocy work? No. Will it make for great shocking TV? Ohhh yeah.
Imagine a smiling baby mural being smashed into a 1000 pieces, as these jackals rush into a store. Or some child like effigy slowly burning on a darkened London street. It’ll make great dramatic TV.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:38pmWant to protect your business with a sign? How about this. “Looters will be shot on sight”.
Report Post »CWPrequired
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:28pmAmen to that one Scuba! Amazing how the possibility of getting shot deters a democrat/communist.
Report Post »Busy Marie
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:54pmRemember, this is London. One of the liberal model cities. I can’t imagine why this is even necessary. I mean, there is a total ban on citizens owning guns. So, that means that there is no crime. Right??
Report Post »Sumrknght
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 1:56pmOh but it’s England… remember? They don’t HAVE gun rights. The bobbies carry a little billy club.
Report Post »Spose you could buy an English Long Bow and shoot em with an arrow. Then get in trouble for poaching on the Queen’s hunting grounds or something…
bpodlesnik
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:28pmInteresting. I like the “playing classical music” approach better though.
Report Post »Lordcsmith
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:11pmNow when they riot it‘ll just look like they’re burning down the “it’s a small world” ride. Or maybe the town is sponsored by Gerber.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:08pmwell america better get ready to hire a lot of painters because if obama gets his way we will have to defend our families with baby faces man that really deter criminals,all this does is tell criminals who are the softies and who will just let themselves be terrorized.
Report Post »KevINtampa
Posted on August 29, 2012 at 12:02pmThis is what happens when your population isn’t allowed to protect themselves, they use pictures of their kids to protect them. And they say we’re backwards?
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