H/T Artsjournal.com which provided a link to a BBC story about how classical music was solely responsible for a 70% drop in anti-social behavior at a McDonalds in England.
There were fights, threats made to staff and property damage before they started playing classical compositions.
But after that, things immediately took a turn for the better. All they needed to do was start playing classical music and that immediately fixed the problem.
Well, that and turning off the Wi-Fi and charge points. And shutting down parts of the restaurant. And having staff wear body cameras and and personally unlock and relock the restaurant doors for customers.
And also
The PMP also introduced regular, targeted patrols, community warning notices for troublemakers, and McDonald’s bans which were delivered to homes by uniformed officers.
Parents were also visited by police alongside housing providers to warn their child’s behaviour could lead to eviction.
Chesterfield FC Community Trust also worked with the PMP to offer activities in the town to give young people an alternative to congregating at the fast food restaurant.
But beside restricting access, extra security measures, added patrols, bans, intervention with parents, and providing additional places for young folks to hang out, the real hero here was the classical music.
That is what the headline and first sentence of the news story credits as the solution so it must be true.
Apparently the attractive murals in the area weren’t enough of an art intervention to solve the problem. (Checked Google Streetview to verify the correct McDonalds appeared in the story. Murals weren’t there in June 2024)
It totally wasn’t “….the power of a joined up, partnership approach to tackle problem behaviour,” as police Inspector Josh Carter says.
