Does Free Ping Pong Stop Crime?
SEATTLE (AP/CBS) — The city of Seattle is wondering if free ping pong in its parks may help stop crime.
KING-TV reports that the city's experiment with a free ping pong table seems to be making a difference.
A ping pong table was installed at Hing Hay Park in Chinatown four years ago. Since then, crime data from the Seattle Police Department suggests incidents in the area seem to be going down, although there have been ups and downs. There were 46 crime incidents in the area in 2009 and 16 in 2014.
No one is willing to draw a direct connection between the ping pong table and the crime statistics, but the city has installed four other tables since then. Officials believe the positive community activity could be crowding out crime.
Experts say that ping pong also makes our brains to work a little hard, reducing our risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's.
"All of this happening at once increases the oxygen, increases the eye hand coordination and helps the brain create these pathway," said dementia expert Dr. Teri Tift.
The theory is playing the game can actually make a part of the brain that shrinks in Alzheimer's and dementia patients bigger instead.
In fact, researchers have found it works five different areas of the brain at the same time.
For older players like Kenneth Renfrow, holding court in the rec room of the Eskaton Village Carmichael Retirement Center, picking up a paddle is a no-brainer.
"I think that's one of the benefits of ping-pong specifically and also just keeping active generally," he said.
Researchers also say it can reduce an Alzheimer's patient's reliance on medication.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or Redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)