For the purposes of this policy, vandalism is defined as deliberate damage to the Council’s assets. Graffiti is considered to be a very visible form of vandalism.

In order to deter vandalism, the Council will ensure areas are well lit as far as is reasonably practicable and invest in CCTV which will also be used to protect its residents and lead to safer communities.

As vandalism is a criminal act, please contact the Police if you witness any acts of vandalism whether to Council assets or otherwise. Remember, you can anonymously call Crimestoppers free of charge on 0800 555111 or complete an anonymous online form - www.iompolice.im/report-it/crimestoppers

What the Council will do if its assets are vandalised:-

Graffiti can be reported to the Council for removal, but should also be reported to the Police. We will prioritise the removal of graffiti on Council properly in the following order:

• Where it may impact safety – immediate removal;
• Offensive, racist and sexist graffiti – within 24 hours;
• All other graffiti - as resources allow but within two weeks.

For other than very minor acts, the Council will consider all vandalism to be criminal acts and will report all vandalism to the Police and, where available, will furnish the police with CCTV footage enabling them to undertake an investigation and deal with the offenders accordingly. A criminal record can seriously hamper your life goals and aspirations;

If there is a recurrence of vandalism over a short time period conducted by the same individual or group, or if the act of vandalism is sufficiently serious, the Council may release to the media footage of those involved in the incident and seek their identification. The Council will do this cognisant of its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and in consultation with other agencies, such as the Police;

Where the cost of rectifying the vandalism is over £1,000, the Council reserves the right, regardless of the intentions of the Police, to pursue a civil claim against the offenders, or where applicable their parents/carers, to recover the costs of rectification. The Council believes this financial threshold to be reasonable and pragmatic, and takes account of the internal costs associated with pursuing recompense, that is, the act of pursuing recompense should not cost more than the recompense sought;

Any non-payment of rectification costs will be pursued through the Council’s normal debt recovery process. Debts accrued in this way may have far reaching implications such as difficulty in obtaining credit or certain services in the future;

In certain circumstances, the Council may consider banning offenders from use of Council facilities such as the library, parks, playgrounds and other amenities;

In deciding its actions, the Council will take due consideration of the age of the offenders and any extenuating circumstances that may apply. Each case will be treated on its merit;

In deciding its actions, the Council will have due regard for the Human Rights Act 2001.