NCJ Number
76614
Journal
Canadian Police Chief Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1981) Pages: 7-9,24
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Vandalism and preventive countermeasures are examined, based on a 1979 study conducted in the Winnipeg area of Canada and data from Uniform Crime Reports.
Abstract
Vandalism is no longer confined to the anonymous urban environment; communities with less than 10,000 inhabitants experience serious vandalism problems. To assess the extent of vandalism more accurately, a more comprehensive reporting system than the Uniform Crime Reporting System is needed. The police are prepared to assume their share in the prevention of vandalism, mainly through increased patrols in high-impact areas; however, an increase in public awareness and community involvement could reduce the opportunities for vandalism. Environmental controls such as security devices and defensive architecture are important, but the benefits are often negated by their high cost. Insurance covering the cost of repairs is often less expensive. Since an individual's ability to integrate into society is part of the socialization and education process, numerous police departments now collaborate with the schools to increase student awareness of the seriousness of the offense and develop policies of supervision, surveillance, and prevention. Diversionary programs such as restitution and community work are especially desirable since they make the offender assume responsibility for the offense while offering public benefits. The impact of such programs as printing offenders' names in local newspapers and making parents pay for damages are yet to be established. It is concluded that the criminal justice system needs community commitment if any effective solutions to vandalism are to be found.