Using Technology to Thwart Vandalism

With the recent rise in street gang activity in our city there have been increasing numbers of incidents involving vandalism of city parks and sadly, city cemeteries. This vandalism ranges from spray painting gang logos and graffiti on walls, benches, sidewalks, statues and even tombstones, In one of the more publicized and costly a beautiful 30 foot tall bronze statue of Revolutionary war hero Nathaniel Greene was spray painted with logos and racially tainted epitaphs. This act of vandalism included painting a marble wall backdrop behind the statue with insults and offensive language. In addition vandals apparently used hammers to strike heavy blows at the statue's granite base causing large pieces of granite to break away and several of the embedded bronze letters to be broken off and destroyed.

According to the National Park Archives the cost of repair and restoration for this one incident was in excess of $250,000.

It seems every month there are newspaper reports of graffiti covered city buildings, sidewalk and even city vehicles.

Four city maintained cemeteries report vandalism including upended tombstones, painted headstones and graffiti scrawled across signs, sidewalks and roads.

The city with a limited number of police was in a dilemma as to how to prevent these acts as many of the parks and cemeteries are widely scattered over the city with many in outlying areas and the vandalism was most often done the the middle of the night or early morning hours and appeared to be entirely random in occurrence.

Just when it appeared no solution to the vandalism problem would ever be found the city turned to a recent technological innovation for help.

With the assistance of hired consultants the city evaluated a pilot program in which two of the most vandalized city cemeteries would install high tech camera systems at all entry and exit points to these fenced cemeteries. The cameras which are linked to and activated by motion sensing devices are located on steel masts at a height of 30 feet and are housed in bullet proof protective cases. Cars or individuals entering the cemetery at night are greeted with a floodlight (activated by the motion sensor) and a recorded voice that announces the cemetery is closed to visitors and that photographs have been taken of you and your vehicle. ( The camera system is actually programmed to take multiple photographs, including zoomed-in closeups of all visitors).

Activity as recorded by the camera is maintained on digital card and can be accessed remotely by police personnel daily.

City police in a review of the first month's results using the pilot program report that the first photos taken of persons attempting to enter the cemetery after hours always include three shots of shocked expressions on the faces of the unauthorized visitors. A forth photo reports the smiling policeman is always one of the rear license plate on the fleeing vehicle.

Three months to date none of the pilot program cemeteries have reported any incident of vandalism.

Encouraged by these results the city plans to make additional installations throughout the park and cemetery system. The new installations will include placement at high profile targets for vandalism including Nathaniel Greene's statue.

This is one more example of technology coming to the rescue.