To the editor,
This is in reference to the Friday, July 20 issue of Citizen’s News opinion, “Stopping vandalism takes community effort.”
Very often the community only hears about the act of vandalism after it has been committed. But when/if after these vandals are caught the community hears nothing about the end results.
Many of these vandals are juveniles. Because they are juveniles they are often protected by law. No one ever knows who they are or what their punishment/sentence might be. Their identity is protected making it easy to become repeat offenders. What do they get, a slap on the hand or a scolding from their parents or the police?
The law should be changed so that these youthful offenders’ names can be printed and their parents’ names too. Identify them.
Don’t let these young vandals get off so easily. If a young vandal is the son or daughter of a local well-known personality, don’t let them get away with saying, “I know so and so,” or, “My father is so and so and he will tell you I didn’t do anything wrong.” Or, the parent who says, “My son is a good boy. He would not do anything like that.”
The community might be more motivated to report or try to stop these acts of vandalism if the laws were strictly enforced.
Make these hoodlums, and their parents too, not only pay for the damage financially but replace or repair the damaged items.
Praying for vandalism to stop is lame. It won’t. Pray for these youthful offenders not to become career criminals. They need to be ruled with an iron hand, not spared the rod.
Virginia Donnelly
Naugatuck
