Crime Prevention Tips - Vandalism

How Would You Feel If Someone...
•Broke the basketball backstop at the playground where you shoot hoops?
 •Kicked your boom box and broke it?
 •Slashed the tires on your bicycle?
 •Spray painted obscenities on your house?
 •Tore up your mother's favorite rose bushes?

And then said it was just a joke.

Destroying someone else's property isn't funny. It's vandalism and it's a crime. Maybe you've heard that vandalism is just mischief and doesn't really hurt anyone. That's not true. Schools that have to spend money on broken windows have less money — or no money — to spend on sports equipment or student activities. Taxpayers (your parents) have to pay the costs of replacing damaged swings, basketball hoops, and streetlights. A homeowner has to replace the torn-out roses or knocked-down mailbox.

What You Can Do
•Don't destroy or deface someone else's property or places that everyone uses.
 •Report any acts of vandalism to the school administrator or police.
 •Get your class or club to start an anti-vandalism campaign.
 •Clean graffiti off walls in schools, libraries, or other public facilities.
 •Work with police and school officials to start a hotline to report vandalism.