Quote:Oakland Neighborhood Sees Crime Decline After Buddhist Shrine Moves In

When a blocked off street at 11th Avenue and 19th Street in Oakland became a magnet for drug sales and illegal dumping, one neighbor had an inspired idea: he bought a small Buddha statue at an Ace Hardware and placed it in the median.

It's now become a full-fledged miniature temple drawing dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese neighbors to the site everyday.

And miraculously as the structure grew, crime and blight began disappearing and neighbors who don't speak the same language became connected.