CLEVELAND COUNTY (ENGLAND) WORKING PARTY ON VANDALISM & HOOLIGANISM SECOND REPORT

Abstract

THIS IS THE SECOND REPORT TO PROVIDE DATA ON THE METHODS BY WHICH A BRITISH COMMUNITY IS ATTEMPTING TO FIGHT VANDALISM AND HOOLIGANISM CHIEFLY BY PREVENTIVE MEASURES, WHICH INVOLVE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR POLICE EFFORTS. THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE PROGRESS MADE IN 1979 IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FIRST REPORT. MEMBERS OF THE CLEVELAND COUNTY WORKING PARTY ON VANDALISM AND HOOLIGANISM JOINED FORCES IN PREPARING A DETAILED PROGRAM FOR ANALYZING AND DETERMINING POLICE RESPONSES TO THE PHENOMENA OF VANDALISM AND HOOLIGANISM, AND FOR PROVIDING ARCHITECTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATORS WITH THE DETAILED INFORMATION EACH REQUIRED. STATISTICAL INFORMATION REFLECTS THE RESULTS OF A LOCAL SURVEY ON THE EXTENT AND TYPES OF PROPERTY DAMAGES INFLICTED BY VANDALS ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, SCHOOLS, AND MOTOR VEHICLES RANGING FROM LITTERING AND GRAFFITI TO WANTON DESTRUCTION. AMONG THE TRENDS DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT ARE A DECREASE IN JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND AN INCREASE OF ADULT OFFENDERS IN THE AREA OF VANDALISM AND HOOLIGANISM. THE MEASURES PROPOSED BY THE WORKING PARTY IN THE FIRST REPORT, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDE AN INTENSIVE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL (FOR CHILDREN AND JUVENILES) AND IN THE COMMUNITY (FOR ADULTS) AND THROUGH THE NEWSMEDIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS ANTILITTERING AND ANTIGRAFFITI SQUADS. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE STRICTER ENFORCEMENT OF THE EXISTING LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON VANDALISM AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT, ENACTMENT OF NEW ONES, IF NECESSARY, EXTENSION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS TO JUVENILES, AND INCREASED USE OF DETENTION AND ATTENDANCE CENTERS. ELEVEN APPENDIXES, CONTAINING STATISTICAL TABLES AND SPECIMENS OF POLICE REPORT FORMS, A MAP OF MIDDLESEBROUGH TOWN, AND AN EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET ON VANDALISM, ARE APPENDED.