Police recruit to help stop vandalism

OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO FIX WHAT VANDALS DAMAGE OR DESTROY. NOW POLICE ...  More »

OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO FIX WHAT VANDALS DAMAGE OR DESTROY. NOW POLICE BELIEVE THE ANSWER TO THE VANDALISM PROBLEM MAY LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH AND EVERY SCHOOL. SHELTON DODSON IS LIVE AT GARFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THE STORY... SHELTON. LETS FACE IT -- THAT IS AN EASY TARGET FOR VANDALS... ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THAT'S WHY A-P-S POLICE SPENT THE DAY WALKING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD RECRUITING EVERY SET OF EYES THEY LAID THEIR EYES ON: FROM WINDOWS SMASHED BY ROCKS TO GLUE JAMMING THE LOCKS .... SCHOOL VANDALISM COSTS A-P-S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR EVERY YEAR. : 'We're handing out these fliers just asking for assistance with the crime that are going up.' THAT'S WHY THE A-P-S POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING DOOR-TO- DOOR IN SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOODS ASKING RESIDENTS TO KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE. : 'There is no way we could do it by ourselves. We do ask that if the citizens of Albuquerque and our neighbors here within close proximity give us a call if they see something suspicious and every little bit will help.': 'We have a lot of senior citizens who are retired and they watch for the kids.'AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT A-P-S SAYS IT NEEDS SINCE THERE ARE 176 SCHOOLS AND NO WAY OFFICERS CAN BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR VANDALISM EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY. AND NEIGHBORS SEEM READY TO STAND THEIR WATCH. : 'That's pretty good because you know we have a lot of crime everywhere and stuff and so -- this is a dead end street -- so we get to see what's going on.' THE PRINCIPAL AT GARFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL SAYS STUDENTS ARE OFTEN DEMORALIZED WHEN A SCHOOL IS VANDALIZED. ADDING THAT 98- PERCENT OF KIDS WOULDN'T DREAM OF DAMAGING THEIR SCHOOL. : 'there's always that two percent who are going to have problems just wanting to do something to make their. Well that is not the way to make their mark, graduate from high school... probably.'GARFIELD MIDDLE WAS JUST THE SHOWCASE SCHOOL TODAY... BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY NEIGHBORHOOD BEING RECRUITED. SCHOOL POLICE PLAN TO HIT UP RESIDENTS AROUND ALL 176 SCHOOLS BEFORE THE VANDALS HIT THEM FIRST. REPORTING LIVE FROM NORTHWEST ALBUQUERQUE..., SHELTON DODSON, EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR. CONTROVERSY TONIGHT OVER FIRE  « Less