This according to a recent study conducted by the cheery chaps of the U.S. Forestry Service.
A rather suspicious claim, we admit, and it only seems plausible if we shared our yards with Ents (you know, those massive tree giants from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers?). Alas, such is not the case. Below are the official findings presented by way of explanation.
Apparently, the sight of large trees in your yard indicates several factors that deter criminals from carrying out their nefarious deeds. What factors do trees uh, indicate?
A certain Mr. Geoffrey Donovan, forester and templar of mother nature (we jest! we jest!) elaborates: “We believe that large street trees can reduce crime by signaling to a potential criminal that a neighborhood is better cared for and, therefore, a criminal is more likely to be caught.”
God for him he did the necessary leg work to back up his findings. He and a colleague studied more than 2,000 homes in Portland, Oregon. What they found was the 400 odd crimes were more likely perpetrated in rundown abodes with smaller trees (good conealment) and unspacious yards. Go figure.
So bigger trees equals a more vibrant community with a higher quality of life where people are willing to fight off thieving intruders. Sounds reasonable.
Via Gearlog, USA Today
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