How to Help Us Catch Vandals

Vandalism is ugly, expensive, and it’s the last thing we need in this economy.

We at the Temecula Police Department love to catch vandals, but we need your help to do it. If you see vandalism happening, here’s what to do.

You might be tempted to walk right up to the tagger and demand they pay for the damage. Please don’t do that. This person’s likely an angst-ridden teen, and might just hurt you.

The best thing you can do is be a good witness. Grab some paper and write down how the person looks. Include the person’s race, age, height, weight, clothing, hair length and color and whether the person has any facial hair. Be as specific as you can.

If you can see the person’s vehicle, get the license plate number. If you have your phone on you and can slyly snap a picture, do it, but don’t put yourself in danger. Criminals aren’t crazy about having their pictures taken.

As soon as you can, call 911 and report the crime. Be ready to answer questions about how the person looks and which way the vandal went.

You can ask the dispatcher to call you after they finish their investigation, or you can ask to be anonymous.

If you find vandalism, but not the vandal, just call the Temecula Police Department’s non-emergency line at 951-776-1099.

Our department takes vandalism seriously, and we have a huge database of past vandalism which we use to track down vandals and figure out what crimes they’ve done.

Please feel free to come by either of our police store fronts with your questions, comments or concerns and we will be happy to help you.

The department has two locations. One is in the Promenade mall across from Edwards Theater, 40820 Winchester Road, suite 2020. The phone number’s 951-506-5160. The other is in Old Town, 28410 Old Town Front Street, suite 105. The phone number’s 951-506-1408.