How to Report Vandalism

Co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD

Last Updated: March 27, 2023 References

Broken mailboxes, spray-painted street signs and graffiti on private property can be disheartening and even dangerous. If the vandalism damages your own private property, such as a broken car window or slashed car tires, the repairs can be costly. Vandalism is something that everyone can help minimize by reporting it when it happens.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Reporting Vandalism Against Private or Public Property

1
Call your local emergency services to report active vandalism. Do this whether the vandalism is being committed against public or private property. If you catch someone in the act of spray painting a building, stealing a street sign, or otherwise destroying or vandalizing property, call your local emergency services number immediately. Destruction of property is illegal, and the authorities will want to catch the person committing the crime if at all possible.^{[1]
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- In the United States you should call 9-1-1 to report vandalism in progress.
- Do not call emergency services to report vandalism that has already occurred, with no suspect on the premises. Emergency services should only be called when you witness a crime in progress.^{[2]
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2
Be observant. If you witness vandalism, try to notice as many details as possible. The more details you can spot, the better your report to the police will be:
- How many people were involved
- Ages
- Gender
- Race
- General appearance (hair color, eye color, height, weight)
- Vehicle identification, if there was one
- Any distinguishing marks or other characteristics
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3
Call a vandalism hotline. Many cities and towns have a hotline in place for reporting vandalism to public property. This includes vandalism against public buildings, schools, street signs, roads and highways, parks, and other government-owned property.^{[3]
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- To find your local hotline number, do an online search for your town's name + vandalism hotline.
- If your town does not have a vandalism hotline, call your local non-emergency police number. Note that this is not the same as the emergency number. It should be a 10-digit number starting with your local area code.
4
File an online report. In some jurisdictions, you may be able to file a report of vandalism or graffiti online. A few examples of cities with an online reporting service are San Francisco,^{[4]
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Research source} To find out if your local police department will accept an online report, check the website for your police department.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Reporting a Claim for Vandalism Against Your Own Property

1
File a police report. If you discover that your property has been vandalized or broken into, call the police to file a report. Be careful not to interfere with any evidence until the police arrive to write a report.^{[7]
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2
File an auto insurance claim. If you have comprehensive auto coverage, your insurance company will likely pay to restore your car after vandalism has occurred. You will need to be able to provide a copy of a police report, along with any photos or other evidence of the damage.^{[8]
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3
File a homeowner's insurance claim. If the damage was done to your house or other property, but not your car, you may be covered by your homeowner's insurance instead. Contact your insurance company to make a claim. You will still need to show evidence of the damage and a copy of the police report.^{[9]
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