Assign a security guard or custodian to check the grounds before and after school. Check the outside walls of the building first, but do not forget to check hallways and especially stairwells. If graffiti are seen, administrators should investigate. Use school cameras if applicable and question staff and students.

Vandalism Prevention

• Have bright security lights inside and outside your property.
• Use unbreakable security glass and fixtures designed to deter vandals.
• Install security fencing around your property.
• Strategically plant shrub and bushes to increase security.

Educate the public, especially young people about the costs of vandalism. Clean up vandalism as soon as it happens — replace signs, repair playground equipment, paint over graffiti. If you see anyone committing vandalism, report it to the police, school authorities, or someone who can take action.

Install motion-activated lights or security cameras on your property to scare them away. 5. Use landscaping to deter graffiti vandals. Plant thorny or vine plants in front of ideal surfaces such as walls or fences.

Use Graffiti Resistant Materials on Targeted Areas Graffiti-resistant materials, such as HDPE, are the perfect way to prevent students from marking commonly vandalized areas. If you are adding a new bathroom in your school, you should avoid using materials that can be easily damaged, such as wood or smooth steel.

The research indicated that juridical, economic, drug and alcohol, as well as learner-related, problems are considered important causes of school vandalism. On the other hand, it was found that educator and school management practices are less important causes of learner vandalism.

When your kids are young and not using the potty, you can place lid locks on all the toilets in your home. As they get older, you have to remove the locks from the toilets your kids use, but you should keep any guest bathrooms under lock and key.

The effects of vandalism Vandalism can affect people’s quality of life because it damages or destroys things that they need or care about. It also: Makes people feel that their lives are less safe than they really are. Costs you money – you pay for vandalism repair through higher taxes and insurance payments.

Behavior as minor as doodling on a school desk or carving a message into a tree may constitute “unlawful” vandalism or graffiti – and students can suffer permanent damage when they are criminally prosecuted for minor misbehavior.

Here are some ways that you can protect your community park from vandals and deter anyone from taking advantage of the area.

1. Consider Security Cameras.
2. Install Sturdy and Lockable Fencing & Security Gates.
3. Hire Security for the Park.
4. Redesign Your Community Park.
5. Make Your Park More Inviting.

Vandalism by one person can lead to imitation. Teenage boys and men in their 20s are most likely to vandalize, but older adults and females are also known to sometimes vandalize, with young children occasionally vandalizing, but in a much smaller form, such as making small crayon drawings on walls.

Vandalism: willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property. Some acts of vandalism occur as a prank. Because the destruction or damage might be slight, the actions are not observed as a crime.

California Penal Code 594 PC – Vandalism. (“(a) Every person who maliciously commits any of the following acts with respect to any real or personal property not his or her own, in cases other than those specified by state law, is guilty of vandalism: (1) Defaces with graffiti or other inscribed material.

In order to prove that a defendant committed vandalism, a prosecutor must be able to prove following elements:

1. The defendant maliciously. defaced property with graffiti or inscribed material. damaged. or destroyed property.
2. AND The defendant did not own the property or have the owner’s consent.

In general, vandalism is not a serious crime unless the property destroyed is worth a lot of money. Many acts of vandalism are misdemeanors, meaning the maximum penalties include fines and up to a year in the local jail. However, vandalism that results in serious damage to valuable property is a felony.

Definition of Vandalism

• Spray painting another’s property with the purpose of defacing;
• “Egging” someone’s car or house;
• Keying (or scratching) paint off of someone’s car;
• Breaking someone’s windows;
• Defacing public property with graffiti and other forms of “art”;
• Slashing someone’s tires;
• Defacing park benches;

Punishment for Vandalism in California A misdemeanor conviction for vandalism can be punished by up to one year in county jail. Under section 594(b)(1), the court may also impose a $10,000 fine. If the value of the property that is damaged exceeds $50,000, then you will be punished by both a fine and a jail sentence.

Witnessing an act of vandalism can trigger anger in even the most gentle citizens, and it can leave a lasting effect. Why? Because, vandalism suggests gang activity in the area, makes people feel victimized, and causes economic hardships for the community.

Here are some common-sense tips you can follow to help protect your property, your neighborhood and your peace of mind.

1. Keep your property well lit.
2. Install a fence with a secure gate.
3. Plant bushes or shrubs.
4. Use video cameras.
5. Clean up vandalism ASAP.
6. If you see something, say something.
7. Keep your windows covered.