Community Initiatives
PROPOSAL TO CURB VANDALISM IN THE HISTORIC “DOWNTOWN CORE”
PROPOSED BY THE
Laramie Police Department
Vandalism is the deliberate destruction or defacement of public or private property. It may include such things as broken lights or windows, damaged phone booths or street signs, bent car antennas, vomit, human and animal waste and broken or damaged public facilities.
Vandalism, including graffiti, is a crime, and not just a costly annoyance. Vandalism destroys property, interrupts business and personal lives, degrades the quality of life throughout any community, discourages development, demoralizes citizens, offends visitors and costs valuable resources. To discourage vandalism the City of Laramie is proposing the implementation of the “Vandalism Prevention Program”. The proposed program, would take the following steps to help curb vandalism:
1. The Crimestoppers fund would offer $100+ dollars for any information that leads to the conviction of vandals in any area within the Laramie city limits.
2. The “Downtown Core (designated boundaries)” would be declared a "Vandal Free Zone" and fines would be levied at higher amounts than normal, up to the maximum allowable of $750, if convicted of vandalism in the Zone. Signage would be posted in the “Downtown Zone” with warnings similar to "School Drug Free Zone Signs and modeled after Neighborhood Watch Signs".
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Downtown merchants and residents would be asked to report all vandalism including, vomit, human and animal waste in the “Core Zone”. All vandalism report summaries would be posted on the City and/or Police Department web site and, if possible, in the Boomerang, with reminders of the available Crimestoppers rewards.
The Police Department will continue to focus on patrol prevention, detection and apprehension strategies to include the use and application of the Downtown Storefront Operation.
Contact: Robert Deutsch, Chief of Police at 307-721-3552
or Officer Lawrence Perea at 307-721-3527 - with your input for this program and any other ideas.
E-Mail Addresses:
Robert Deutsch - bdeutsch@ci.laramie.wy.us
Lawrence Perea - lperea@ci.laramie.wy.us
Preventing Vandalism
Businesses can help prevent vandalism in the following ways:
1. Use good lighting in and around your business. This ensures that potential vandals are more visible and increases their chances of getting caught.
2. Use unbreakable fixtures or glass when possible. This reduces a person's opportunities to vandalize.
3. Lock any gates, garages and external doors around your business to prevent unauthorized access. Also lock up any equipment or tools that may be easy targets for vandals.
4. Clean up any signs of vandalism as soon as they appear. This may involve repairing broken or damaged signs or equipment.
5. If you see someone committing an act of vandalism, report it to the police, immediately.
And:
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Surveillance: Increased video surveillance can be required in heavily vandalized areas where the benefits outweigh the costs.
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Target hardening: Stronger locks and frames on doors and windows storerooms can deter some inexperienced and opportunistic thieves, and safes can stop professional burglars.
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Information sharing: Comprehensive statistics should be kept on vandalism so the scope of the problem can be understood, and methods of preventing vandalism and graffiti and repairing vandalized property should be shared residents and merchants.
