Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure or property. Vandalism costs cities, towns, schools, parks, business owners and individuals millions of dollars each year to clean up graffiti, repair buildings, or replace vandalized equipment. As taxpayers, we foot the bill.Most vandals are young people "from grade schoolers to teens to young adults who damage property. Many cities and towns have a pro-active program to prevent vandalism. These programs may include:

* Educate the public, especially young people, about the costs of vandalism
* Clean up vandalism as soon as it happens"repair signs, repair playground equipment
* Encourage citizens to report anyone committing vandalism to the police
* Support for recreational programs for youth
* Use of FlashCAM systems to deter vandalism at key locations

Vandalism occurs in many places, such as parks, schools, cemeteries, skateboard parks, community swimming pools, historic structures, golf courses, etc. The municipalities using FlashCAM deterrent systems as a part of their overall strategy tend to install the systems at locations that are hit repeatedly with vandalism. The typical result is the vandalism stops at these locations.

A key benefit of the system is the deterrent factor. The FlashCAM issues a loud voice warning while taking a series of photographs whenever motion is detected. The system operates unattended daytime and/or nighttime to protect your site. The 14-second voice message can be customized to fit the location. One Parks & Recreation customer recorded this message, "Hey you, over by the snack shop. The park is closed. We have just taken your photograph and will use this photo to prosecute you. Leave now!"

Strategy

Stop vandalism before it occurs, saving the expense of equipment replacement and damage to structures. Use FlashCAM systems as the first line of defense to safeguard your sites.

Tactics

1. Determine when the theft and/or vandalism occurs-daytime, nighttime. This information will be helpful when setting up the FlashCAMs. For example, the systems can be set to operate from dusk to dawn, or from 10 p.m. (when the park closes) to dawn, which would be an appropriate setting if most vandalism occurs at night. The choice is yours. A major city has FlashCAMs deployed throughout its park system. The systems are in operational mode 24/7 with a benign message that says, "Welcome to the park. We have taken your photograph for security purposes. Have a nice day." In these days of heightened security, park visitors feel safer knowing there is some surveillance. Meanwhile, incidents of graffiti, vandalism and illegal trash dumping have been significantly reduced.

2. Based on the number of sites to be protected, determine how many FlashCAMs are needed. Next, decide where the FlashCAM systems will be mounted (at least 18 feet high). Example: a historic house was frequently vandalized with graffiti, broken windows, etc. It was determined that two FlashCAM-770s would adequately protect this valuable property. Another example is a skateboard park where walls were covered with graffiti and equipment was vandalized regularly. Two FlashCAMs were installed and the problems ceased.

3. Set goals. If stopping the vandalism is your goal, set the system to take two or three photos per event. An "event" is when the system detects motion and is triggered. Typically, the combination of the bright flash and voice warning surprises the vandal and he/she flees the scene. The FlashCAM-770 digital system can store 770 photos when set at 5 megapixel resolution, and over 1,500 photos when set at 3 megapixel resolution.

4. Document your vandalism deterrent program. Track when and where the FlashCAMs are installed. Take photos of the site that has been vandalized to document the destruction. Track the amount of money spent to repair damage, including man hours. Once the site has been restored and the FlashCAMs installed, take photographs in a few weeks to document the results. This ongoing record of your deterrent program will serve you well at future meetings with officials and when setting budgets.

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