Vandalism in Launceston

Policy makers and researchers describe vandalism as a ‘wicked’ problem, meaning a social problem which seems to be resistant to solutions. Some other examples of this type of problem might be family violence and climate change. In this report, researchers from the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies have responded to the City of Launceston’s interest in curbing vandalism, with a focus on seven suburbs in the broader local government area. The purpose of this report is to better understand the prevalence of vandalism; to better understand the theoretical approaches to vandalism and to explore potential strategies for responding to vandalism. A multi-method approach was adopted which included a quantitative analysis of data provided by Tasmania Police and Council; a wide-ranging literature review; and a collation of interventions for vandalism, mostly at the local government level.