Opinion: Vandalism of historic Trenton buildings shows dangers of vacancy

Published July 17, 2012
By Stephanie L. Cherry-Farmer

The ornate Trenton Saving Fund Society building façade on East State Street has lost a character-defining feature. Recently, most of the building’s elaborate security gating disappeared, reportedly pilfered by thieves. Anyone with information on the gates is encouraged to contact the police.

The loss of the TSFS gates is particularly disturbing because of the quality of the ornament and also the highly visible nature of the property. However, the disappearance of the gates is, sadly, just one example of a recent rash of similar property vandalism in Trenton. These thefts can inflict severe damage upon buildings and can create hazardous conditions that affect neighboring properties.

One epidemic in Trenton in particular is attracting property vandalism and theft, and exacerbating the resulting effects: vacancy. Could the TSFS gate theft have been prevented if the building were occupied or properly cared for? While an occupied building can be vandalized just as easily as can a vacant one, vacancy decreases the likelihood that the thefts will be noticed and the perpetrators caught.

Trenton needs people to re-occupy and revitalize many of its properties, but in the interim, the city needs a more effective approach to holding property owners accountable. The Trenton Historical Society is working with a coalition of area organizations to help our city leadership improve and enforce ordinances that address abandoned and vacant properties. In communities such as Newark, these ordinances have a proven track record of engaging owners in property upkeep. If implemented and enforced, these tools could work in Trenton, too.

We encourage Trenton residents to help the Trenton Historical Society in this effort by visiting the nonprofit Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey’s Neighborhood Toolkit website (hcdnnj.org/neighborhood-toolkit) for more information on what we can all do to save our neighborhoods.

Preventing vandalism in our communities is something we should all be concerned about and take responsibility for. In addition to getting involved, by keeping an active eye on vacant properties in our neighborhoods and reporting thefts or vandalism to the police, we’ll be helping to protect our properties, our neighborhoods and our shared communities.

The TSFS façade is looking less ornate these days, and our city is the poorer for it. Help protect our city by supporting responsible property stewardship and being on the lookout for vandalism. Together, we can make a difference.

Stephanie L. Cherry-Farmer is a trustee for the Trenton Historical Society.