How to Report Vandalism
Call your local emergency services to report active vandalism., Be observant., Call a vandalism hotline., File an online report.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Call your local emergency services to report active vandalism.
Do this whether the vandalism is being committed against public or private property.
If you catch someone in the act of spray painting a building, stealing a street sign, or otherwise destroying or vandalizing property, call your local emergency services number immediately.
Destruction of property is illegal, and the authorities will want to catch the person committing the crime if at all possible.In the United States you should call 9-1-1 to report vandalism in progress.
Do not call emergency services to report vandalism that has already occurred, with no suspect on the premises.
Emergency services should only be called when you witness a crime in progress. -
Step 2: Be observant.
If you witness vandalism, try to notice as many details as possible.
The more details you can spot, the better your report to the police will be:
How many people were involved Ages Gender Race General appearance (hair color, eye color, height, weight) Vehicle identification, if there was one Any distinguishing marks or other characteristics , Many cities and towns have a hotline in place for reporting vandalism to public property.
This includes vandalism against public buildings, schools, street signs, roads and highways, parks, and other government-owned property.To find your local hotline number, do an online search for your town's name + vandalism hotline.
If your town does not have a vandalism hotline, call your local non-emergency police number.
Note that this is not the same as the emergency number.
It should be a 10-digit number starting with your local area code. , In some jurisdictions, you may be able to file a report of vandalism or graffiti online.
A few examples of cities with an online reporting service are San Francisco,Sacramento,or Irving, Texas.To find out if your local police department will accept an online report, check the website for your police department. -
Step 3: Call a vandalism hotline.
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Step 4: File an online report.
Detailed Guide
Do this whether the vandalism is being committed against public or private property.
If you catch someone in the act of spray painting a building, stealing a street sign, or otherwise destroying or vandalizing property, call your local emergency services number immediately.
Destruction of property is illegal, and the authorities will want to catch the person committing the crime if at all possible.In the United States you should call 9-1-1 to report vandalism in progress.
Do not call emergency services to report vandalism that has already occurred, with no suspect on the premises.
Emergency services should only be called when you witness a crime in progress.
If you witness vandalism, try to notice as many details as possible.
The more details you can spot, the better your report to the police will be:
How many people were involved Ages Gender Race General appearance (hair color, eye color, height, weight) Vehicle identification, if there was one Any distinguishing marks or other characteristics , Many cities and towns have a hotline in place for reporting vandalism to public property.
This includes vandalism against public buildings, schools, street signs, roads and highways, parks, and other government-owned property.To find your local hotline number, do an online search for your town's name + vandalism hotline.
If your town does not have a vandalism hotline, call your local non-emergency police number.
Note that this is not the same as the emergency number.
It should be a 10-digit number starting with your local area code. , In some jurisdictions, you may be able to file a report of vandalism or graffiti online.
A few examples of cities with an online reporting service are San Francisco,Sacramento,or Irving, Texas.To find out if your local police department will accept an online report, check the website for your police department.
About the Author
Jerry Peterson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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