Broadwater Farm classical music crime prevention
HUFFINGTON POST. General views of the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham, London. 28 June 2016. The fifth anniversary of the London riots is coming up, which were sparked by the killing of Mark Duggan who came from the estate.

Unintentionally, yes.

Police in London are expanding a pilot program to play classical music around the Broadwater Farm estate (that’s a housing project in American English). Broadwater Farm has been an area that Tottenham authorities have struggled in the past to police effectively. Local law enforcement authorities are hoping that the classical music can have a positive effect on people’s moods and reduce stress that leads to crime.

Local constable Adam Weber told The Sunday Times, “Incidents of verbal and physical abuse fell [during the initial scheme], so I thought, ‘let’s give this a go’.”

The idea originally was tested across London in several Underground stations and reportedly did lead to drops in key crime statistics. Whether or not the idea will take hold in one of north London’s most notorious neighborhoods remains to be seen, but the effects of music on the human brain have been well documented.

Music has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. The regular chords of music can also bring coordination and increased communication. For those in emotional distress, music can often bring a measure of relief.

These are all things that can lead to increased crime, especially dispute related ones like assaults. Hopefully, the classical music can reduce those incidents and make policing the area a little bit easier, and make everybody a little bit safer.

And make some of the greatest classical composers into crime fighters out of your favorite comic books. With less of the collateral damage…

Beethoven vs Mozart
