Vandalism is costing the community
Some of the broken glass and mess left after a recent break-in at the old TSB Pool Complex
Recent acts of vandalism in Stratford have frustrated officers at Stratford District Council (SDC), who say repairing public property and cleaning up after vandals is costing local ratepayers.
Public toilets at the town’s historic Centennial Rest Rooms have been the target of repeated acts of destruction in recent months. Toilet roll holders and paper towel dispensers have regularly been broken by vandals and the contents, if not the actual dispensers themselves, stolen or destroyed.
At the end of May, electrical and light fittings were ripped off the walls, leaving wires exposed and putting people’s safety at risk. Police are investigating and it’s hoped the culprits will be found and prosecuted, but the destruction has left council staff with some tough decisions to make, like whether they take away the rest room’s comfortable seating and device charging station to deter people from hanging around.
“I’m over it,” says Sara Flight, SDC Property Officer. “And everyone else in Stratford should be too. Our budget for repairs and maintenance is funded by rates. There’s a small number of selfish people out there making a whole lot of mess that everyone else needs to clean up and pay for.”
The town’s old TSB Pool Complex, which has been proposed to be demolished as part of the district’s draft Long Term Plan 2024-34, has also been the subject of ongoing issues with vandalism. Vandals have smashed glass in windows and doors and, more recently, there was a break-in which left a significant amount of mess to be cleaned up. “Quite frankly”, says Sara, “It was disgusting.”
“Lots of people have it tough out there at the moment, and it’s not fair that our ratepayers are footing the bill for vandals and their senseless destruction. The materials and labour cost for repairing the rest rooms and pool complex is rapidly climbing towards the $10,000 mark and that’s just over the last six months.”
“We’re looking into ways we can make our public facilities safer from vandalism, but we need some help from our community, too,” says Sara. “If you see public property that has been vandalised, or suspicious activity around community facilities, please call us straight away on 06 765 6099 no matter the time of day or night. You can also make a report and include images through our free Antenno app.”
“Council will report vandalism to the police, but of course if you see any suspicious activity that might result in harm, please report it straight to the police non-urgent phone line at 105. If someone’s in danger, call 111 straight away.”
