A window was pushed in at Mr Hewitt's business St Kilda Finance in Otago House, Princes St, on Saturday night, exposing the office to potential looters or burglars. Signs, worth about $10,000, were also destroyed, he said.
It was the second time a window had been broken at the premises and followed a graffiti incident a few weeks earlier.
‘‘I'm annoyed. Our business is disadvantaged by this wilful damage.''
He believed it was time the vandalism stopped and called on the Dunedin City Council to take some action.
‘‘Something needs to be done about it.''
Fellow Princes St businessman Michael Coughlin, of restaurant Bell Pepper Blues, said two windows at the restaurant were broken in three weeks, although normally it only happened once every couple of years. ‘‘It's very annoying and costly.''
Dunedin police area commander Inspector Dave Campbell said 22% of all reported crime involved wilful and intentional damage and it increased every year.
Police were applying to the Crime Prevention Unit for funding for anti-graffiti paint to help protect murals on private property and community constables were analysing incidents of damage in their areas to help identify patterns of behaviour, Insp Campbell said.
As police resources were restricted, he encouraged property owners to take steps to protect their property and make it harder for vandals by using stronger glass in windows and increasing lighting.
Dunedin City Council representatives could not be contacted late yesterday.
