Cops in full moon lunar-cy
Full moon ... 'crime levels increase'
By SEBASTIAN LANDER
June 05, 2007
The Sun
EXTRA cops will be out on the beat during full moons - as officers have found a link between lunar cycles and crime levels.
Officers found that full moons and paydays were times when aggressive behaviour rose among drinkers in pubs and nightclubs in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex.
The find is reminiscent of the legend that humans turn into wolves, or become more violent, during a full moon.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Research carried out by us has shown a correlation between violent incidents and full moons.”
More officers will be out on the city’s streets during full moons over the summer months, she added.
Inspector Andy Parr said he would be interested in contacting universities interested in examining the link further.
He told a local newspaper: “I compared a graph of full moons and a graph of last year’s violent crimes and there is a trend.
“People tend to be more aggressive generally.
“I would be interested in approaching the universities and seeing if any of their post-graduates would be interested in looking into it further. This could be helpful to us.”
The link between full moons and extremes in human behaviour has been identified in past scientific studies.
Professor Michal Zimecki, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, analysed dozens of studies that take lunar activity into account, and argued that a full moon could affect criminal activity and health.
In 1998, a three-month psychological study of 1,200 inmates at Armley jail in Leeds discovered a rise in violent incidents during the days either side of a full moon.
thesun.co.uk
Full moon ... 'crime levels increase'
June 05, 2007
The Sun
EXTRA cops will be out on the beat during full moons - as officers have found a link between lunar cycles and crime levels.
Officers found that full moons and paydays were times when aggressive behaviour rose among drinkers in pubs and nightclubs in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex.
The find is reminiscent of the legend that humans turn into wolves, or become more violent, during a full moon.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Research carried out by us has shown a correlation between violent incidents and full moons.”
More officers will be out on the city’s streets during full moons over the summer months, she added.
Inspector Andy Parr said he would be interested in contacting universities interested in examining the link further.
He told a local newspaper: “I compared a graph of full moons and a graph of last year’s violent crimes and there is a trend.
“People tend to be more aggressive generally.
“I would be interested in approaching the universities and seeing if any of their post-graduates would be interested in looking into it further. This could be helpful to us.”
The link between full moons and extremes in human behaviour has been identified in past scientific studies.
Professor Michal Zimecki, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, analysed dozens of studies that take lunar activity into account, and argued that a full moon could affect criminal activity and health.
In 1998, a three-month psychological study of 1,200 inmates at Armley jail in Leeds discovered a rise in violent incidents during the days either side of a full moon.
thesun.co.uk