As summer reaches its peak unfortunately so does the incidence of vandalism to cars, personal property and the community property of LOW.  Even as recently as the past weekend there has been a rash of home, car vandalism, and robberies.

While there is no full proof system to prevent a highly motivated vandal 100% of the time there some things can be done to encourage a vandal to go elsewhere.  The key is making the effort required to accomplish their criminal act exceed their motivation to achieve their goal of defacing or damaging your property. Here are a few tips from the experts to help you avoid being vandalized.

  • Don’t post your travel plans on social media sites, talk about your trip with casual acquaintances, or leave notes on the front door indicating that you’re not home.
  •  Install motion sensor flood lights. Creating a well-lit area will deter vandals from trespassing on the property. Running flood lights on a motion sensor will conserve energy and will automatically illuminate areas vandals try to approach. Vandals are less likely to commit crimes against properties that are highly visible. Light is the vandal’s biggest enemy. They do not want to be seen. Keeping areas well lit will make it difficult to commit their acts of vandalism without being seen.  Proper lighting is the easiest and most important step in preventing vandalism.
  • Consider purchasing a security system that directly alerts police to intruders if you live in a higher crime area.
  • Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions, but be sure to keep valuables out of sight.
  • Cover the windows in your garage door so no one can see that your car is gone. Be sure to keep the garage exterior doors and windows locked and even add a brace so the garage window can only be lifted from the inside.
  • Trim shrubs and large trees so trespassers have fewer hiding spots.
  • Leave a locked vehicle in your driveway or have your neighbor park there if you go out of town.
  • Never leave valuables or anything that might be perceived as valuable in your car.  Always lock and secure any car, truck, boat or camper in your driveway.  Do not leave bicycles outside or use a bike lock to secure them.
  • Install video surveillance -While ineffective against professional criminals, surveillance cameras can be effective against amateur criminals who commit acts of vandalism. The presence of cameras is a deterrent. In cases where they do not prevent the crime, cameras can provide information that can assist police in their investigation. Video surveillance can be an effective solution for preventing vandalism.
  • Notify your neighbors. Whether the vandalism is being committed against a home or business, surrounding neighbors should be made aware of any vandalism when it occurs. Creating awareness will keep the community alert for suspicious persons and activities. Exchange contact information with neighbors so you can be notified in the event any vandalism is witnessed.  Join the neighborhood watch in your area.
  • Notify your local police department, and file a police report for any vandalism that occurs. Filing a police report will help document each vandalism incident and the damage that was caused. Request that the police increase its patrols in your area if repeated vandalism occurs. Increasing police presence will deter vandals.

Again, there is no way to completely prevent vandalism but do your part to not make it easy for the vandals.