A spike in vandalism in Narromine Shire has prompted the council to offer a reward for information.

Council is calling on residents to report any suspicious or unusual activities following an increase in vandalism across the Shire.

“We have seen a troubling increase in damage to children’s play equipment, gardens, fencing, and soft fall,” Narromine Shire Council General Manager Jane Redden said.

To help reduce the impact of vandalism, Narromine Shire Council has a Vandalism Rewards Scheme Policy, which encourages residents to report any instances of vandalism or related incidents.

This scheme offers up to $5000.

Narromine Council Mayor, Ewen Jones said he was aware of damage in the community, particularly to the toilet facility at Dundas Park.

“It’s a fairly new toilet block and it’s just a pointless act for it to be damaged,” he said.

Ms Redden said she was disappointed that vandals had targeted the community facility.

“The newly opened public toilets at Dundas Park have also been repeatedly targeted, resulting in significant repair costs," she said.

"Community safety is one of our top priorities, and we are doing all we can to protect our public spaces.

"Even with CCTV in place, we rely on the community’s support to help deter and report these acts of vandalism.

"Council hopes that, reward aside, the community will feel motivated to report any information they may have about these incidents.”

Narromine Shire Council Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Melanie Slimming, said she was aware of the need for repairs caused by pointless vandalism.

Narromine Shire Council Mayor, Ewen Jones, said the rise in vandalism was frustrating.

“We have also had damage to fencing.

"We've got white picket fencing around some of the ovals and people are just running into it and smashing it up. 

"We’ve also had people lighting things on fire in a playground.

"It’s just silly, pointless behaviour.”

“We do have fixed CCTV, and at the moment we've got our portable CCTV unit set up at the park to try and capture as much as possible.

"Using CCTV, along with someone's statement can be really helpful in finding these perpetrators.”

The Council’s rewards policy offers up to $5,000 for information that leads to successful legal action, such as a criminal conviction, a formal caution, or a juvenile justice conference under the Young Offenders Act 1997, when vandalism affects Council-

owned or managed property.

For further details on the policy, visit: https://www.narromine.nsw.gov.au/council/policies

To report vandalism or suspicious activity, please contact NSW Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000. In emergencies, dial 000.