It is sad to see that vandalism has once again reared its ugly head in Malta with a spate of attacks, this time not on a national monument, but in the town centre of Santa Lucia.

Vandalism should always be condemned because it reduces people’s quality of life, not to mention squanders money to repair and clean the damage caused. The last incident of vandalism prior to the above mentioned was an attack on Portes des Bombes, an architectural and cultural gem. Oil was splattered all over the monument and many feared that it would be ruined. Luckily, the stains were removed without damaging the archway, but, needless to say, the perpetrators were never caught.

This newspaper acknowledges that there has been a government drive to embellish Malta and this is positive, commendable even, but one must say – long over due. And it is indeed a shame, especially for the people who live in areas where vandalism is rife, to see that areas which have been embellished are simply ruined.

People in Santa Lucia said that, lately, there were vandal attacks on a convent, the village square and even worse, on elderly people. Equally despicable is the fact that bring-in-sites were set ablaze – which apart from making an absolute mess, resulted in plastic being melted – releasing fumes into the air.

The residents have complained that there is no adequate police presence and they are completely correct in doing so. However, if there is such a huge lack of manpower within the police corps, then other measures could be put into place to reduce the attacks.

The major cause of vandalism is boredom, but that is no excuse. Of course it always helps to have recreational areas and leisure activities on the go, but this will not help eradicate the attacks.

CCTV cameras have proved to be invaluable in catching out motorists who violate the law, but they have many other benefits. Of course, CCTV installed in less conspicuous places will have the benefit of identifying perpetrators of vandalism. Their power should not be underestimated – in fact, the London bombers were identified on CCTV.

On the other hand, visible cameras will act as a deterrent. Anti-vandal paint (which is more or less grease) can be put on walls, thus preventing people from getting any grip on the wall and subsequently climbing into private areas or to which there is restricted access.

But this must all go hand in hand with active policing. Anyone will tell you that a visible and most importantly active police presence on the street will deter people from getting up to no good, whether that is drug abuse, vandalism or even petty crime.

There are also other forms of punishment that might be more applicable than a fine. Would it not be beneficial to assign offenders to community service – perhaps even go a step further, in that the court order the offender to clean up the mess or repair the damage he or she has caused.

In addition, there needs to be an education campaign in schools as well as a greater effort to identify “problem children” at school.

Greater cooperation on the part of residents, would also benefit the locality in which they live. Residents can take down specific and accurate details of incidents that they themselves have witnessed, which can then be passed on to police for prosecution – much similar to Neighbourhood Watch schemes.