Protecting a Broken Window: Vandalism and Security at Rural Rock Art Sites

The majority of the ancient rock art sites of the American Southwest are located in rural locations which are difficult to monitor or police. These sites seem to exert a pull upon humans, an attraction which not only provokes curiosity and wonder, but also what can be classed as destructive responses or vandalism. Many crime control methods for reducing vandalism are based on such traditional theories as defensible space and broken window theory. However, in the case of rock art these methods do not yield expected results and in some cases are even detrimental. Rural crime, including rural vandalism, as a whole is marginalised in criminology, which has been dominated by urban-focused approaches and theories. In the case of rock art, considering how security is approached and maintained ultimately leads to questions about human/object relationships with regards to crime, and about object agency. By focusing on the policing challenges of one particular type of rural vandalism, we hope to contribute to the discussion of vandalism in rural spaces.