Crack down hard and fine the parents (Vandalism)

Member Name: Mick-Gray

Product:	Vandalism
Date:	28/09/06 (133 review reads)
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This is a subject that always makes my blood boil. Graffiti, Mindless damage to property, Wanton destruction of anything and everything that is available. This is not just a problem for the UK you see it in France, Spain and certainly in large areas of America.

The first thing that has me tearing my hair out is the Idiots that try to justify Graffiti by telling us it is urban art and telling us that the "Graffiti artists" are just expressing themselves, well let them express themselves on their own walls, not mine or my neighbours.

We have a small park local to where I live and small saplings were planted all round the park for future generations to enjoy as they grew. Withing a week they were all snapped off and dead. Why? what possible reason could anybody have to do this? Just mindless vandalism.

The problem is the Police are not interested and the public are too scared to do anything about it.

A few months ago I was walking my dog around the park, there were a group of youths running around the bowling green digging and ruining the turf and generally smashing the place up. I shouted at them to stop (big mistake) I was verbally abused told to f... off and mind my own business and threatened. Due to my age and their numbers I had to walk away so I telephoned the local police station. After waiting in a telephone queue I was told they would send a car as soon as possible. I waited in my car in the car park for about 20 mins then I saw the youths leave the park. I waited for a further 20mins no police so I gave up and went home.

The answer as I see it is to crack down hard. When a vandal is caught make him or his parents pay to repair the damage and give him community service on top make him work Saturdays and Sundays clearing up other vandals handywork. Or if he cant pay or won't do community service then put him away. If the vandals realise that there may be some unpleasant consequences to their actions it might make them stop and think before they act. This should also apply to younger kids none of this I'm under 10 so you cant touch me. If they are too young to know right from wrong then they are too young to be out unsupervised so fine the parents and perhaps they might then teach them right from wrong.

Graffiti and vandalism costs us all in our council taxes and it makes the area look run down which seems to then attract more vandals, criminals and drug dealers until the whole area becomes a run down slum. ordinary people start to move away. Then who is going to move in other than those who like to live in a slum because it suits their criminal activities.

If I had my way when a vandal was caught I would go to his house find his most treasured possessions and destroy them in front of him and see how he liked it or even better a few stripes across his backside might help but this might breech his human rights poor little love.

Mick Gray

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