Introduction
Graffiti and vandalism are a major blight on communities. Vandalism can lead to important services, such as public telephones, being damaged so that they don't work, or removed, for example bus shelters, to protect from further harm. Vandalism can make the environment untidy, and graffiti can be offensive. All of these things contribute to an air of decline, and can lead to people fearing crime more.
Acts of vandalism can include breaking windows, smashing up payphones, and graffiti. Many incidents of vandalism and graffiti are not reported. This is often because it is against private property and the victims do not consider it serious enough to tell the police, or think that the police won't be able to do anything about it, or find the culprit. Sometimes, the people who own the property (for example, the gas board) are based a long way away, and never see the damage to complain about it.
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