NCJ Number
90339
Date Published
1980
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the reports, group discussions, and policy recommendations from seminars on vandalism held for the benefit of the public schools in Coventry, England.
Abstract
The first seminar was attended by representatives of district councils, magistrates, police, crime prevention panel members, the education department, and some 40 students from local schools. Following the presentation of a background document outlining the cost of vandalism to public property in Coventry and possible motives for vandalism, a film on the nature of vandalism and its costs was presented. The papers subsequently presented dealt with a profile of vandals, vandalism prevention through planning, youth participation in sports as a deterrent to vandalism, and the climate in England that is conducive to vandalism. The seminar groups deal with the following topics: (1) why vandalism is occurring in the public schools and what can be done to prevent it, (2) why vandalism incidents vary in the different parts of the city and whether sufficient amenities are available to occupy youth, (3) motives for vandalism, and (4) whether existing sanctions are sufficient to deter vandalism. Actions taken by the seminar participants are summarized, and major recommendations made by the students at a subsequent seminar and submitted by the Crime Prevention Panel to the Coventry City Council and City Justices are listed. Recommendations focus on the participation of youth in decisions affecting the facilities they will use, the use of community service orders to deal with vandals, the immediate repair of vandalized public property, the development of informal contacts between police and youth, and the use of student rates for the use of city recreational facilities.