http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62504
I like hearing innovative (or deceptively simple, in this case) ideas for far-reaching problems. Our rather staid and traditional politicans and police forces combat rising crime with weak handgun legislation and calls for more cops on the beat. What a difference from Edinburgh, where the police have simultaneously halved the teen crime rate, made themselves approachable to the youth, and enjoyed themselves capitally.
According to the Daily Record, a new scheme was recently launched in the Moredun area of the city to combat anti-social behaviour through the power of games.
The local library has been hosting weekly PS2 gaming contests, and hoodies and happyslappers have been flocking to compete with police officers at the likes of Gran Turismo 3, Tiger Woods Golf and Pro Evolution Soccer – once they’ve worked out what a library is, of course.
Around 30 youths aged 13 and 14 took part in the contests, which ran over five weeks and rewarded the winners with shiny new games. Since the scheme kicked off, the number of youth-related crimes in the area is said to have fallen by half, and police are now considering holding more contests across Edinburgh.