Crime in Jamaica has always been pretty bad. The island of 2.7m people has one of the highest murder rates in the world and the last decade has seen a 10% increase in homicide. The reasons include deteriorating economic conditions and small town gangs evolving into powerful organised criminal networks. But researchers looking more closely into just why crime has got so bad have stumbled on something fascinating.
Ten years ago, researchers would comb the streets for information, talking with local residents and listening to their stories. These conversations would invariably take place on either the steps leading up to the front door or on the verandas overlooking the street. But when researchers moved from street to street in the city heat this time around, they noticed that the streets were empty. Were people hiding because of crime? Researchers began knocking on the doors of houses to find out. Once they had explained who they were through the shutters, the researchers were allowed in – and were immediately hit by a wave of cold air.
The reason behind the disappearing citizens hit the researchers – literally. As Jamaicans had begun purchasing cheap air conditioning units so the tradition of sitting out on the stairs and verandas started to die. And as the residents left, the criminals moved in – taking over streets in a bid to expand their turf. Researchers found that the mere presence of people sitting outside their houses had acted as a deterrent to crime by building social capital among local residents and in doing so bringing the community closer together. Buying aircon units, it seems, set off a unique chain reaction.
