This Town Says a Ban on Mankinis Helped Reduce Crime

A British seaside town took an innovative approach to reducing crime and boosting tourism: it banned mankinis.

The town of Newquay had garnered a reputation as a hot spot for bachelor parties, the Press Association reports, and local law enforcement wanted to crack down on the binge drinking, public disorder and inappropriate clothing that usually accompany such events. So, they banned mankinis, or revealing bikini-style bathing suits for men — as seen in the movie Borat.

And, according to the town, it worked. “People expected to come to Newquay to drink a lot, behave irresponsibly,” Devon and Cornwall police inspector Dave Meredith said. “Certainly we have clamped down on that and the image of Newquay now has certainly curtailed some of that.”

“I remember back in the 2000s you couldn’t walk the streets on a Saturday without seeing someone wearing a mankini or what have you,” said the town’s mayor, Dave Sleeman. “I think we have turned the corner here.”

[Press Association]