5 Tips For Preventing Vandalism Of Your Sign

If you are a business owner, it can be devastating to go to your place of business in the morning or get a call in the middle of the night to learn that your storefront has been vandalized. Besides being disheartening and bad for business, vandalism can be expensive to repair, especially if it includes damage to a specialty sign such as an illuminated sign or a monument sign. Below are five tips that you can follow to prevent vandalism to your store signs. 

Make Sure Your Sign Is Well-Lit 

If your sign is well-lit, it will be a less likely target for vandalism. This is because vandals will be more concerned about being seen and identified while vandalizing your sign. If you have an illuminated sign, make sure that the interior lights shine brightly enough to create ambient lighting that would deter a vandal by replacing old lights as they start to dim. If your sign is not illuminated or if it is only slightly illuminated, consider adding a floodlight below the sign to increase nighttime visibility of your sign while deterring vandalism. 

Repair Your Sign When Necessary 

There is a popular social theory, known as the broken window theory, which implies that if a small sign of social disorder goes unaddressed, it will prompt larger signs of social disorder. When applied to storefronts and signs, it means that if you fail to repair your sign when it is damaged and do not regularly clean your sign, making it appear that no one cares for your property, you will encourage vandals to target your store. Because of this, it is a good idea to make sure your sign is regularly cleaned and maintained. You should also call a service technician to repair small acts of vandalism or other damage as soon as possible. 

Remove Any Graffiti As Soon As It Is Noticed 

As stated above, signs of vandalism can lead to more vandalism. However, unlike neglect or simple destruction of property, graffiti can quickly lead to more aggressive graffiti on your sign and the rest of your building. For example, if your sign is tagged with graffiti, it may draw competing graffiti vandals to make their mark on your store as well. While you may be able to wait a few days or weeks to repair a burned out light, you should cover or remove graffiti as soon as you notice it to prevent the situation from escalating. 

Increase Security 

If you notice that your sign is a target for vandalism it is a good idea to increase your visible security to deter vandals. Visible security includes measures such as uniformed security guards during your non-operating hours or highly visible security cameras. These will not only help you catch vandals, but they will also send a clear message to potential vandals that your store is well-protected and cared for, which can deter their behavior altogether. 

Report Vandalism to the Authorities

If vandalism does occur, you should report it to the authorities. If you know who has vandalized your sign, you should let the police know. Dealing with vandalism more aggressively will show that you will not be lenient when your store is vandalized, and it will make your sign and storefront a less appealing target to vandals. Making a report will also alert the police to an increase in vandalism in your neighborhood so they can send additional patrol cars to the area at night. 

Vandalism can be expensive to repair and can make your store less appealing to customers. To help prevent vandalism, make sure you follow the above suggestions. You can click here to continue reading more on repairing your sign to prevent vandalism.


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