LONDON – A British resort town is deploying extra police during full moons, convinced of a link between the lunar cycle and violence.
The vibrant seaside city of Brighton on England’s southern coast is adopting the new approach after reviewing crime statistics for the past year, Sussex police said Tuesday.
“Research carried out by us has shown a correlation between violent incidents and full moons,” the force said in a statement. “More officers will be out on the city’s streets during full moons over the summer months.”
Police inspector Andy Parr conducted an analysis of crime statistics that suggested more violent incidents happen during full moons.
In a paper published this year, Michal Zimecki of the Polish Academy of Sciences claimed to have found a link between lunar cycles and criminality.
Zimecki wrote in “The Lunar Cycle: Effects On Human And Animal Behavior And Physiology,” that a full moon can affect behavior and health, often triggering an escalation in crime and hospital admissions.
His study reflected an age-old belief that the moon has links to an individual’s mental state. In the 17th century, Britain’s chief justice, Sir William Hale, claimed a link between the lunar cycle and dementia.
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