Take Ownership-Stop Park Vandalism
Has your park suffered vandalism? There are some places that hold a special place in our hearts because of the fond memories we forged there. It is always enjoyable to revisit some of those cherished places and bask in the nostalgia they contain. Conversely, it can be quite disconcerting to revisit a beloved park from your youth only to find that it has morphed into a cesspool of crime.
The hard truth is that even our most beloved and safe parks are vulnerable to corruption. No matter how pristine and innocent a park is, its tranquil order can be disrupted by a few acts of vandalism. Vandalism is an incredibly visible crime that can easily alter the perception of a park from safe to unsafe. “Visible signs of depreciative behavior” such as vandalism act as gateway crimes to more serious and fatal crimes. When a park suffers from litter or destruction of property that is not promptly cleaned up or fixed, a two-pronged strike is dealt to the park. The two prongs of the strike are that law-abiding park goers begin to feel unsafe and potential criminals gain confidence that they can act without suffering from punitive justice. It is crucial that park management proactively prevents vandalism from ravaging their parks to prevent its decline into criminal activity.
To take back a park from bad element activities a presence of guardianship must be established. Keeping the bad elements out of the park is a difficult task. The community must work with park management to establish ownership and care. Resources and tools, such as patrols and cameras, are also necessary to combat park crimes. However, normal surveillance cameras will not be enough and does not deter the destruction that vandalism cause. Fortunately, there are Park Vandalism Cameras, specifically designed to stop Quality-of-Life Crimes such as graffiti and vandalism. They can easily identify small tattoos and ink stains on a finger, but they also contain unique qualities that are proactive to deter crime before it happens.
What is your community doing to protect your parks and maintain their safe atmosphere for families to make memories?
#parksandrec #parksandrecreation #publicworks #publicworksdepartment
