Vandalism On The Rise – Perpetrators must be caught and dealt with

That was a startling, but eyebrow-raising moment, when Town Manager James McKenna said that incidents of vandalism are increasing dramatically in the town. We still feel Winthrop is a safe community (long-time residents will remember when Winthrop won an award as one of the safest towns in America, although the statistics used at the time were suspect).

But this is a serious matter and McKenna said the incidents are costing the town thousands of dollar in repair bills. Police Chief Terence Delehanty and his department are working hard to solve the incidents, but it may take additional manpower and that’s something McKenna will have to decide. Perhaps the installation of additional surveillance cameras throughout the town and the additional manpower will result in the arrest of these perpetrators who are destroying the town and tarnishing the town’s reputation as a safe community.

Vandalism always has been an issue through the years. No generation has been immune to it. But what we have noticed over the years is that the persons responsible generally are few in number, at least at the outset of a vandalism outbreak. So if those few perpetrators can be caught and dealt with swiftly and appropriately, not only does it get them off the streets, but it discourages others from joining their ranks and prevents a rash of vandalism from turning into an epidemic.