A Man Put A Buddha Statue In A High-Crime Neighborhood. What Happened Next Is Nothing Short Of Stunning

October 2, 2014

A small gesture from a non-religious Oakland man has brought a surprisingly big impact to a high-crime neighborhood.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle / SFGATE.com

The Eastlake neighborhood resident was simply feeling hopeful when he went to an Ace hardware store, purchased a 2-foot tall Buddha statue and placed it on a median strip in a residential area.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. Area residents began to leave offerings at the base of the Buddha including flowers, food, and candles. A group of Vietnamese women in prayer robes began to gather at the statue to pray.

The neighborhood completely changed. People stopped littering and vandalizing. The drug dealers stopped dealing in the neighborhood. Since 2012, crime dropped 82%. Robbery reports went from 14 to 3, burglaries were halved, aggravated assaults, narcotics and prostitution completely vanished.

Source: SFGate