Christ on the Beat

Criminals in the British town of Barnstaple had better watch out. Christ is on the beat, and apparently he's getting results.

A police officer has put his faith in prayer to catch criminals. Inspector Roger Bartlett believes divine intervention has brought down the crime and number of road deaths in his area.

The staff officer with 23 years’ experience arranges quarterly prayer meetings in Barnstaple, Devon.

He first asked Christians to pray for the crime detection rate in 2007, which at 26 per cent was one of the poorest in the area.

With a little help from Jesus, the crime detection rate quickly improved, road deaths dropped, and criminals found themselves strangely unlucky - just as if a spell had been cast over the area. Which, in effect, it had.

‘Now Barnstaple currently has a detection rate of just over 40 per cent of total crime, which is one of the highest in the country,’ said Inspector Bartlett.

A serial burglar was arrested ‘in very unusual circumstances’ three days after a prayer session and serious road accidents fell from 97 to 32 in a year, he added.

Prayer and magick are very much the same, differing mostly in terms of technique. If crime is a problem in your area this just shows you can deal with it regardless of your spiritual beliefs. If you're a magician or Pagan, cast a spell. If you're a Christian, pray. You can get good results either way.