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School Vandalism
Work with the community to create an anti-graffiti environment on local
campuses.
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October 01, 2007  |  by Joseph Petrocelli - Also by this author

The start of the school year brings unique challenges to students, parents,
and school administrators, as well as law enforcement. Once a symbol of
discipline and order, many of today's schools are overcrowded, poorly
maintained, and serve as magnets for criminal activity. One particular
crime that presents special challenges for law enforcement is school
vandalism, which can take a variety of forms from broken windows to
graffiti to the total destruction of property.

While such acts are rarely reported in the media, one in three schools has
reported acts of vandalism each year. In 1990 more than $600 million in
damage to school property was caused by vandals. By understanding the
nuances of vandalistic acts, patrol officers can develop specialized
responses to help minimize future attacks.

Easy Target

Schools present a unique target for vandals. They are easily accessible
and everyone knows when schools are busy and when they are empty.
Unfortunately, vandalism is often under reported because school officials
may view the crimes as inconsequential, they may prefer to handle the
repairs in house, or they may fear that reports of vandalism reflect
negatively on their management skills.

If you and your police department aim to reduce school vandalism, you
must first get a clear picture of the offense and help to ensure that all
vandalism incidents are properly reported. To facilitate easy reporting,
develop a form that school administrators can fill out without police
assistance or allow tipsters to report crimes of vandalism over the phone.
If all incidents are not being reported, find out why.

Consider the Motives

Once you have a clear picture of the prevalence of these crimes in your
area, develop theories as to why the vandalism occurs. It may be helpful
to recognize that most acts of vandalism provide no financial gain for the
actor; they are merely vehicles for the actor to gain status in the eyes of
his or her peers.

In an effort to gain social status without causing real financial damage, an

actor may spray hate-motivated or gang-related graffiti on school
grounds. This act gets the actor's name around school. In contrast,
secretly dropping cherry bombs into toilets or vandalizing laboratories
causes a great deal of financial damage, but doesn't do much for the
reputation of the clandestine actor. Establishing the motive of the actor
will go a long way toward developing a criminal profile.
Next, try to develop a profile of the events and the perpetrators.
Spontaneous events such as throwing rocks or bottles through windows,
seem relatively random. Other acts, like drawing elaborate, multi-colored
gang graffiti high off the ground, indicate some level of planning. How the
incidents are grouped—many small incidents with no apparent pattern or
a few large incidents that coincide with sporting events or concerts—can
provide valuable clues.

Obtain additional information by interviewing non-offending students or

by debriefing offenders who have been apprehended. Find out the general
age of the perpetrators, level of criminal sophistication, proximity to the
crime scene, modes of transportation, and the number of offenders
involved.

Prior to initiating proactive enforcement steps, gauge the community's

reaction to the vandalism. Is it viewed as a serious, expensive offense or
a harmless act that everyone in the town engaged in when they were in
high school? How does the media portray the vandals: as gang members
marking their territory or as harmless kids committing juvenile pranks? A
police response that is out of sync with the community's feelings could
cause more problems than it solves.

Tackling the Problem

As school and police officials begin to tackle the problem of school

vandalism, the first step will be to conduct a security walk through the
campus. Sprawling campuses that cover many acres are more susceptible
to vandalism than smaller facilities. Burned out lights and large bushes
can create hiding spots that give vandals a sense of secrecy. Look out for
any trees that may lend easy access to the roof. Also pay special
attention to large, smooth walls, especially those painted a light color.
Such walls can be painted with a mixture of colors (camouflage print) that
doesn't allow graffiti to stand out, making them much less tempting to
vandals.

If the vandalism problem continues to escalate, look into organizing a

task force that invites a free exchange of ideas from students, teachers,
administrators, custodians, and members of the community. Make every
effort to include marginalized students whose voices may not be heard in
an organized setting. Input from these varied sources will lead to a
vigorous discourse, as well as new ideas and responses.

If graffiti is the main problem, schools might choose to erect a "graffiti

board," a wall where non-offensive graffiti is permitted. This means of
expression allows students to have an outlet for their creativity while
preventing widespread damage to school grounds.

Finally, work with the courts to develop creative sentences for those who
are caught vandalizing schools. Using a restorative justice model, you can
encourage judges to sentence offenders to cleaning the school's hallways
or scrubbing graffiti from the walls instead of giving them time in juvie.
This way, the offenders will serve a punishment that returns the school to
its prior condition.

School vandalism plagues almost every community in the country. Police

want to develop a measured response that reflects the community's view
of the offense and creates an environment wherein the crimes will
ultimately be eliminated. By working with students, faculty, and members
of the community, your agency can develop creative and successful
responses to school vandalism.

Det. Joseph Petrocelli is a 20-year veteran of New Jersey law

enforcement. He can be contacted through SAFECOPS.com