Just the sight of the paint is enough to deter perpetrators

May 22, 2015 14:38 GMT  ·  By

Odd-looking spheres about the size of baseballs and filled with orange paint serve as anti-crime devices in Japan, reports say. 

The orbs themselves are nothing special. They're just regular balls filled with regular orange paint.

Then again, they weren't designed to prevent people from becoming criminals. They were created to find perpetrators.

Oddity Central tells us such orbs filled with orange paint are a common sight in stores, where they sit next to the cash register.

Whoever is managing the store is supposed to throw the orange balls at criminals looking to steal.

Upon impact, the orbs disintegrate and spill their content. Smeared in orange paint, perpetrators are easy to find and identify.

Interestingly, it looks like this method of marking perpetrators has until now been used in very few robberies.

This could be because people panic and forget to fling the spheres to color their attackers.

Still, law enforcement officers like to think that, simply by being present next to cash registers, the orbs discourage perpetrators.

“Even if the balls aren’t actually used, that they are in the store and visible to would-be thieves helps protect the store,” said public safety officer Akihiro Suwa.

The idea is to throw the orbs at perpetrators
The idea is to throw the orbs at perpetrators

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Spheres filled with orange paint are anti-crime devices in China
The idea is to throw the orbs at perpetrators
Open gallery