Public Telephone Vandalism (From Preventing Property Crime, P 31-34, 1987, Dennis Challinger, ed. -- See NCJ-114125)

• NCJ Number: 114127
• Author(s): B Jamieson
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: For microfiche, see NCJ-114125.

Annotation

Public telephone vandalism is a serious problem for Telecom Australia, with damage costs running about $18.25 million per year and increasing.

Abstract

The most common types of damage sustained include glass breakage and cabinet damage, handset damage, damage to dials or casings, theft of or damage to coin boxes, and theft of or damage to telephone books. Public telephones are frequent targets of vandalism because they are readily accessible, are public property and considered fair game, and provide opportunities for theft from coin boxes. To combat this problem, Telecom has initiated public awareness campaigns that emphasize the importance of the telephone in emergencies. These include general media campaigns, programs for police and students, and work with community crime prevention groups. In addition, rewards are offered to persons who aid in the detection of offenders, and special investigative groups have been formed to target particularly vandal-prone telephones. Preventive measures have included replacement of glass by wire mesh, installation of sensors to signal police in the event of tampering, use of better designed coin boxes, and resiting of public telephones. These activities aim to reduce vandalism and the substantial costs to taxpayers. Taxpayers can assist in this effort by keeping an eye on public telephones and reporting any suspicious activities.