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Base officials ask residents to help curb vandalism

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hailey Davis
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  In 2011, there was a total of four reported vandalism cases on Kadena. Six cases were documented already this year. From February to April, more than 30 housing units were broken into, totaling more than $11,000 in total damages.

With dependents out of school for the summer, vandalism is expected to increase, said John Kraft, Kadena's Department of Defense military family housing chief of facilities.

"I'd really like to stress the importance of neighborhood watches," said Kraft.

We need everyone in the community to keep vandalism from occurring, said Kraft. Ezekiel Buck and Hiroyuki Tokunaga, 18th Security Forces Squadron criminal investigators, were the lead investigators in recent vandalism cases. The two said vandals are breaking open key lock boxes in order to get into recently renovated housing units.

"One group of three or four kids started breaking those key lock boxes. Initially they kept the key and said 'this unit is mine, it's my house,'" said Tokunaga.

"The kids said they were just bored," said Tokunaga. "They were 14 and 15 (years old). One kid started opening the houses so they were open to everyone."

Damage in the units that were vandalized consisted of torn up carpets and broken windows.

Tokunaga said the kids were hiding the keys in electrical outlets and when they wanted to hang out with friends they would come and go as they pleased.

Kraft said neighbors saw kids spray painting walls, but said nothing. The vandals of the 16 housing units were eventually caught by a construction representative who was performing a routine security check of the newly renovated homes. A window was open in what was supposed to be a vacant building; once he entered the home, he saw the carpet was damaged.

Of the 17 violators caught, three dependents were barred from all DoD bases in Japan for 10 years. The other 14 violators were put on a suspended barrment for one year; if they get caught breaking the law within the year, they will also be barred from DoD bases in Japan, according to Tokunaga.

Dependents can not only get punished with probation, but also the crime is entered into a security forces information system that military recruiters, regardless of branch of service, have access to.

If a child wishes to join the military after a crime such as this is put on their record, they will turned away because of their criminal record.

Military and civilian sponsors may also pay the price for their dependents actions. For example some parents had to pay up to $800 for the cost of the damages, totaling roughly $9,400. Also, if the parents choose not to send the child back to the states, not only are they forced to move off base but they also have to pay for the child to go to a private school, said Kraft.

Security forces personnel urge service members and their families to lock up their vehicles and homes to prevent further incidents. Anyone seeing vandalism in progress are asked to contact the law enforcement desk at either 634-2475 or 634-2476.