VANDALISM RAMPANT

Otaki Mail, 22 December 1939, Page 2

VANDALISM RAMPANT

QUESTION OF VIGILANCE COMMITTEES ill ' - - Files of the Forest and Bird Protection Society show that the outbreak of vandalism in public parks and gardens continues in many districts of the North and South Islands. Some of the worst of the recent stupid mischief has been done in Invercargill where the civic authorities arc much worried by destructive hooligans. In an editorial comment on the grievous nuisance, The Southland News remarks: “The financial loss involved has obviously reached considerable proportions and more drastic measures may be required, even to the setting up of a vigilance committee.” The need of vigilance committees was raised recently by the society. “The : maintenance of law and order in a community assumes that the average person will be reasonably normal,” states the president, Captain Sanderson. “When some individuals make a practice of behaving abnormally in all sorts of cunning ways jn a sort of war against society, the limited number of police may not be enough for the detection and punishment of the offenders, tt seems that some citizens in the localities concerned should offer their services for co-operation with the authorities in the suppression of an intolerable nuisance, especially at a time like this when strength is needed for constructive work within the country.”