Vandals hit city, region offices
BRENT DAVIS
The Waterloo Record, Ontario, Canada
WATERLOO (Jun 27, 2007)
Under a blazing sun, Bernie Vandonk donned a heavy jacket, mask and gloves as he undid the damage caused by a pair of vandals in Waterloo.
Using sandblasting equipment, Vandonk, with the city’s environmental department, sprayed away graffiti that covered the sidewalk in front of the Waterloo City Centre on Regina Street South.
The building’s brick pillars were also targeted, as was the nearby regional Public Health & Social Services building. The graffiti included spray-painted antiwar and anti-government messages, along with several expletives and symbols.
“This upsets me,” Vandonk said. “It’s quite time-consuming to remove, and it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Police believe the buildings were hit at about 3 a.m. yesterday. Surveillance video from the lobby of the regional building shows two individuals spraying graffiti inside the building.
“We stand firm that we will not tolerate this as a community,” Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran said. “Our buildings are not message boards for political statements.”
Waterloo regional police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel said the graffiti is believed to be connected to vandalism which occurred overnight on Sunday.
In that case, several businesses and vehicles were spray-painted with similar messages in the area of Weber and Louisa streets.
“This is not a victimless crime,” Heinzel said. “Someone has to pay to remove these materials.” A damage estimate has not been set.
Police are looking for two young women between the ages of 16 and 20 wearing hooded sweatshirts and jean shorts.
Confrontation 
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