1999 Annual Report
Vandalism
Vandalism, or malicious destruction of property, includes tire-slashing, window-smashing, spray-painting, and myriad other crimes in which someone’s property is willfully and maliciously damaged or destroyed. It is the most commonly reported crime in Cambridge. Despite these high numbers, we suspect that vandalism is one of the most underreported crimes; residents and businesses frequently ignore “minor” incidents of vandalism and graffiti.
Vandalism is up 10%, from 789 in 1998 to 864 in 1999
Vandalism usually falls into one of three categories: 1) juveniles looking for a thrill, including “taggers” or graffiti “artists”; 2) revenge-motivated incidents, including neighbor and landlord/tenant disputes and traffic and parking disputes; and 3) botched attempts to break into a car (i.e., the window is smashed or the door lock is broken, but nothing is taken).
|
Neighborhood |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
Change |
|
East Cambridge |
110 |
90 |
131 |
+46% |
|
MIT |
16 |
10 |
12 |
+20% |
|
Inman/Harrington |
75 |
48 |
80 |
+67% |
|
Area 4 |
104 |
92 |
100 |
+9% |
|
Cambridgeport |
108 |
92 |
79 |
-14% |
|
Mid-Cambridge |
83 |
76 |
77 |
+1% |
|
Riverside |
62 |
69 |
92 |
+33% |
|
Agassiz |
34 |
22 |
19 |
-14% |
|
Peabody |
57 |
72 |
71 |
-1% |
|
West Cambridge |
68 |
74 |
55 |
-26% |
|
North Cambridge |
108 |
94 |
108 |
+15% |
|
Highlands |
25 |
34 |
13 |
-62% |
|
Strawberry Hill |
23 |
14 |
22 |
+57% |
|
TOTAL |
873 |
789 |
864 |
+10% |
As 64% of all vandalism occurs to automobiles, this crime is likely to strike high-population residential areas and high-traffic commercial areas. Hence, the higher totals in Area 4, North Cambridge, East Cambridge, Riverside, and Cambridgeport.
Several neighborhoods have seen increases in vandalism in 1999. Among the patterns of vandalism identified by the Crime Analysis Unit in 1999:
· East Cambridge had a spree of graffiti markings in April, involving eight to nine incidents. And in late June, an unknown person or group of people traveled down Fulkerson and Otis Streets smashing car windows and puncturing tires.
· Inman/Harrington was also hit in the same spree of vandalism, with several more tires punctured on Cambridge Street.
· Mid-Cambridge had several tagging incidents and domestic disputes, involving damage to the victim’s car, house or place of work.
· North Cambridge had eleven tire slashings in one concentrated area south of Rindge Avenue in early January.
· Riverside had a spree of malicious destruction incidents to cars this December on Bow & Arrow Streets. A group of five to eight males damaged five cars in the immediate area around the Hong Kong Restaurant. Three windshields were smashed, two doors were dented, and one set of tires were slashed.
Category |
1998 |
1999 |
|
Car window smashed |
190 |
216 |
|
Dents/other damage to car |
234 |
186 |
|
Tires slashed or punctured |
68 |
85 |
|
Scratches, “pinstripes” |
62 |
67 |
Total Damage to Autos |
554 |
554 |
|
|
|
|
|
Misc. damage at residences |
54 |
66 |
|
Window of residence smashed |
33 |
42 |
Total Damage to Residences |
87 |
108 |
|
|
|
|
|
Window of business smashed |
53 |
63 |
|
Misc. damage to businesses |
34 |
30 |
Total Damage to Businesses |
87 |
93 |
|
|
|
|
|
Graffiti |
57 |
109 |
As with other crimes, the increase in graffiti incidents probably reflects greater reporting than actual occurrences. Efforts of the city’s Graffiti Hotline and Graffiti Task Force seem to be paying off with both increased awareness and increased removal of graffiti from public and private buildings.
The graffiti hotline, incidentally, can be reached at 349-INFO. You can call to:
Report existing graffiti
Provide information to help apprehend “taggers”
Get information about removal supplies and techniques for graffiti on your property
Get information about community clean-up days.
Back to the 1999 Annual Report Index
Page Created 04/04/00
Last Updated: 04/20/00 12:50:02