Ding-dong Crime Patrol

[Taro Toporific]

FILLING IN THE BEAT-COP GAPS
Crime wave fears prompt citizen patrolsThe Japan Times: Oct. 23, 2003
Driven by concerns about rising crime, citizens are standing up to protect themselves by forming neighborhood watch groups....
.... The group patrols the streets day and night on a daily basis....Those on patrol wear yellow jackets that glow in the dark and carry bells, hoping their presence and the sound of their approach will keep baddies away...
"Simply emphasizing our presence by ringing the bells and shining our flashlights (at night) will help turn bad fellows away," said patrol member Eiji Yoshikawa....

[Caustic Saint]

This story sounds familiar....Wait! I know where I've heard it before:

[AssKissinger]

Those on patrol wear yellow jackets that glow in the dark and carry bells

That's just what this country needs, more lunatic noise makers. I'll take a quiet criminal who'll let get me some sleep over 20 highly caffeinated JiJis and Babas wearing goofy outfits and ringing bells anyday.

[Crispy]

Gah, yeah. After the blind crosswalk sounds everywhere, Japan doesn't need anything like that.

[Big Booger]

I feel protected now.

[kamome]

Looks like the criminal element now has a group of highly visible, bell-wearing potential victims available to it.

[Caustic Saint]

Looks like the criminal element now has a group of highly visible, bell-wearing potential victims available to it.

Maybe the bells are to help out the visually impaired criminals. Equal opportunity for all!

[cstaylor]

Considering this will probably be old people, this may be the government's way of dealing with the pension deficiency.

[kamome]

Considering this will probably be old people, this may be the government's way of dealing with the pension deficiency.

...not to mention alleviating the burden put on the national health care system by Japan's aging society.