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Bruce Schneier had a piece on how taxi drivers in Kyoto, Japan are being encouraged to loiter because their mere presence seems to reduce crime:
In Kyoto about half of the convenience stores had signed on for the Midnight Defender Strategy. These 500 or so shops hung posters with slogans such as "vigilance strengthening" written on them in their windows. These signs are indicators to taxi drivers that they are allowed to park there as long as they like during breaks. The stores lose a few parking spaces in the process but gain some extra eyes which may be enough to deter a would-be bandit from making their move.
Since the program started in September 2013 the number of armed robberies among participating stores dropped to four compared to 18 in the previous year. On the other hand, the shops which were not in the Midnight Defender Strategy saw an increase in robberies, up from seven to nine incidents compared to the year before. Overall the total number of robberies was nearly halved in the prefecture.
Original story found at RocketNews.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 06 2015, @05:20AM
Isn't Japan one of the safest places in the world? Armed robberies in Japan?! Sounds like a statistical anomaly.... I;ve been to Japan and ppl looked at me funny for jaywalking....
I don't think this would work in the USA. I can't imagine any taxi driver sticking around in South Central LA, or Compton or Oakland or the Bronx or south Chicago or .... etc. for their break. Instead of robbing the store, they'll just take the cab~!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 06 2015, @05:50AM
Many Cab drivers are armed now days. Also with cameras in/on their cars. Sounds like a good arrangement to me. And they get hungry or need more coffee. Win Win.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday January 06 2015, @06:42PM
I doubt that. Another problem is the driver always has their back to the passengers making self defence very difficult. A passenger can quickly slide in and have a gun drawn in a second or two. A driver has to draw, awkwardly turn around, look, aim and fire. They are much better off with both a camera and bullet proof partition. Once the creep is in the vehicle, the situation is in their favor.
Years back I knew this drug addict low-life courtesy of a no-so-smart friend who for some reason thought this dude was the coolest guy there was. He was nothing more than a maffia wanna be street punk. Anyway, he told us a story when he robbed a livery cab driver with the help of a friend (another drug addict scumbag I once met). They determined the best time to rob a driver was in the winter at night but not too late. Side note: Livery drivers will illegally pick up street hails for a fair. So the low-lifes scumbag friend calls a livery cab for a quick ride to a nicer neighborhood where the driver wouldn't suspect an ambush. At the destination, the creep was waiting pretending to be in need of a ride. Accomplice gets out and walks down the block and he jumps in asking for a ride wearing a face mask. Driver does not suspect the face mask is malicious as it is winter and the neighborhood is low crime. Driver doesnt suspect a thing as he pulls away when the low-life pulls a knife, puts it right to the drivers throat and demands he drive a few blocks and pull over. Once pulled over he demands cash, gets it, then punches the driver in the face until he looks unconscious and jumps out. Low life supposedly made off with $700 in cash. Of course the low-life's scumbag friend is also just now down the block to meet up with him. The driver never saw it coming. No way could that driver attempt to pull a gun with the low-life right on top of him. I dont know if that story was a lie to make him look tough or the real deal. Everyone who knew him feared him because he was known to beat people into a bloody pulp. I believe it because there was too much detail in his story.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 06 2015, @06:47AM
I like how all the dangerous places you mentioned are majority black, you racist. Black != criminal. I've walked around Derry, Maine and been robbed at gunpoint. I've also walked around Compton and never been robbed. Disprove that, faggot
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 06 2015, @08:44AM
As the original OP, I was just thinking of the most notorious neighborhoods, and the LA ones I listed are heavily Latino populated and not solely black. Why must you assume everything is racism against minorities?!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 06 2015, @03:51PM
It's all in the summary. During "the previous year" (2013?), there were apparently 18 armed robberies in the participating stores, and 7 armed robberies in non-participating stores, for a total of 25 for the year. Presumably just in the Kyoto area.
In the next year (2014?), there were 4 armed robberies in participating stores, and 9 armed robberies in non-participating stores, for a total of 13 for the year.
It sounds like armed robbery is not a major concern in Kyoto (population: ~1.5 million).