Vandals not into goodwill

There are two immediately unsettling aspects to the news that some of the participants in the LJ Hooker Light Up Your Home Christmas lights competition were hit by vandals in the lead-up to the weekend's judging.

The first, of course, is the vandalism itself.

Some of the vandalism included Santa hats being ripped off and scattered down the road, and lights stolen. Some of the larger lights were left bent over.

You have to wonder about the mentality and maturity levels of those who decided it was a good idea to try and wreck the displays of others who had got into the Christmas spirit, not only for themselves but also for the benefit of the community.

The second concern is that this is not a new thing.

Despite the best efforts of police, petty crime is now unfortunately a regular occurrence in most communities, and it seems there is no shortage of people who, for whatever reason, take some sort of selfish delight in wrecking others' good efforts.

Equally, there's also been no shortage of attempts to try and figure out what motivates these idiots, whether it's a self-centred cry for attention, personal malice or the oft-quoted "boredom", none of which really carry any weight as potential excuses for something which is frankly inexcusable.

As reported in yesterday's lead story, the Chronicle has put up a $500 reward for any information on these vandals which leads to a conviction.

You'd like to think those responsible would have enough of a conscience to turn themselves in, but history tells us this is unlikely.

So if you have seen or know anything about these incidents of vandalism, do let the police know.

Not only is it the right thing to do, it might help encourage the people who go to so much trouble decorating their house to celebrate the festive season to continue to do so in years to come.

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Speaking of those who put in big efforts during the holiday break to help others, Tuesday marked the first day of regular lifeguard patrols at Castlecliff and Kai Iwi beaches.

While everyone else is out making the most of the (hopefully) fine weather, the lifeguard patrols will be doing their bit to keep us all safe.

If you're at the beach, swim between the flags and follow the lifeguards' instructions - they know what they're talking about, and the last thing anyone wants is a summer marred by a tragic drowning.

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