Boston Channel - Vandals Attack Longfellow Bridge



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Vandals Attack Longfellow Bridge

Actions May Be In Response To Crackdown

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Posted 6:35 p.m. EST January 22, 2001 -- Vandals have splattered paint on the historic Longfellow Bridge between Cambridge and Boston, and police said that the attack may be in retaliation for recent vandalism prosecutions.


	Watch Kelley Tuthill's Report

NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reports that police aggressively prosecuted vandals last year, and MBTA Police Lt. Nancy O'Loughlin said that she thinks the recent attack may be in response to the crackdown.

"They don't seem to have a goal in life," said O'Loughlin, who works as an undercover officer. "They're stuck in perpetual adolescence. They don't go to school. They don't work."

Vandals started defacing the pillars around the holidays, using paint guns and paint-filled balloons. Police said that this high-profile location allows the vandals to score points with others in their subculture who pass by on the T.

For pedestrians and drivers who go between Boston and Cambridge, it's a disturbing image.

State police estimated that the damage could be as high as $50,000. The MDC cannot make the repairs until the weather gets warmer. Until then, police are trying to track down those responsible, and they said that aggressive prosecution and stiff penalties are the only way to stop vandalism.