She might stand at 150cm (four feet 11 inches), but West Berkeley great-grandmother Fuchsia D'Abreu is taking on the vandals who are terrorising her neighbourhood.The 69-year-old pensioner woke yesterday to find her letterbox smashed and her home splattered with eggs and baked beans.Previously, her bin had been set alight, graffiti painted across her driveway and a hole put in the side of her house.
What do you think is the answer to the continuing vandalism across the Illawarra? Leave your comment below Editorial: Halt the hoons Another senseless attack on moving carAfter six months of harassment, Ms D'Abreu has had enough."It's got to the point of no return as far as I am concerned," she said."My neighbours are too afraid to speak out, but something has to be done."Ms D'Abreu said she the vandalism was carried out by a group of about 20 youths and children aged as young as eight, and usually occurred after dark on weekends."Last night, they were using their scooters to whack the bins. Then I could hear the eggs hitting the house."I would love to confront them. I'd bring my cricket bat with me, but against that many people, you don't do things like that."I've had the police at my home so many times I think I've met every member of the precinct."Businesses have also been affected, a service station manager reporting an incident where youths climbed a petrol tanker with cigarettes in their mouths."We've suffered vandalism and harassment but the worst was the petrol tanker a month ago," she said. "It was supposed to deliver 20,000 litres of fuel but had to leave because these kids were jumping on top and smoking while it was trying to park."Ms D'Abreu said she did not accept excuses such as boredom and disadvantaged backgrounds for the youths' behaviour."I raised four children on my own in this Department of Housing home," she said. "My eldest is a major in the Army. Another is a paramedic. Don't tell me excuses."Sergeant John Klepczarek said police were working with the region's councils and other government authorities through the Illawarra Crime Prevention Partnership to curb crimes such as malicious damage."Ongoing malicious damage or vandalism is a challenge because it tends to be an opportunistic crime where people leave parties or licensed premises and kick over a letterbox or smash a window," Sgt Klepczarek said."It's very difficult to anticipate when and where that will happen."Sgt Klepczarek said police were working with Wollongong City Council to develop a rapid removal program where graffiti was cleared as soon as possible."It's been proven that if you get rid of graffiti or tagging within 24 to 48 hours it acts as a deterrent because it's all about being seen. If it's removed quickly, the vandal will know it's not worth the risk."He said efforts were also underway to establish a midnight basketball competition to counteract problems of boredom.
