Man placed Buddha statue in downtown Oakland

...and the crime rate went down by 82%.  A fascinating story with lovely photo. 

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/johnson/article/Buddha-seems-to-bring-tranquillity-to-Oakland-5757592.php

EXCERPT:
Since 2012, when worshipers began showing up for daily prayers, overall year-to-date crime has dropped by 82 percent. Robbery reports went from 14 to three, aggravated assaults from five to zero, burglaries from eight to four, narcotics from three to none, and prostitution from three to none. "I can't say what to attribute it to, but these are the numbers," a police statistician