Lufkin, Texas: Military recruiters’ vehicles dented, scratched, and damaged

This is funny – multiple military recruiters’ cars have been shot at with pellet guns, dented, hit with rocks and scratched over a period of weeks, but recruiters say it’s got nothing to do with what they do for a living. They say the latest act of destruction is an “isolated incident.” Who do they think they’re kidding?

Property destruction and other forms of direct action against military recruiters can be a critical factor in effective counter-recruiting – remember the recruiter commander literally begging anarchists in Kansas to set aside their militant tactics? Though there’s considerable risk involved, this is another area where youth have been leading the resistance against recruiters in their communities.

From the Lufkin Daily News:

Houston-based military spokesmen say a recent rash of vandalism of Lufkin recruiters’ vehicles is an isolated incident.

On Monday, a fourth report of vandalism was made to Lufkin police. The windshield of a U.S. Army recruiter’s vehicle was broken and the hood dented with some type of blunt object in the Lufkin Mall parking lot, a report stated.

“It was probably done by some kids. We don’t view it as an outlash toward the military at all,” said Lt. Kris Brazil, a public spokesman for the U.S. Navy recruiting district in Houston.

A spokesman for the Army recruiting battalion in Houston echoed Brazil’s reasoning.

“It’s probably someone with too much time on their hands, and thought (the car) was a target of opportunity,” said Jay Thompson, a public officer specialist for the Houston Army recruiting battalion.

The reports of vandalism first appeared June 27 after a U.S. Army recruiter’s vehicle was keyed in the Lufkin Mall parking lot, off South Medford Drive, a police report stated.

The following week, on July 3, two recruiters’ cars, one for the U.S. Army and and the other belonging to the Navy, were vandalized. Someone shot a Navy recruiter’s car several times with what appeared to be a high-powered pellet gun, the report stated. It was also scratched several times from thrown rocks, and two hubcaps were missing. A window on the Army recruiter’s car was broken, the report stated.

The vandalism has mostly occurred at night, said Lt. David Young, a Lufkin police spokesman.

“We sure would like to catch them,” he said.

Brazil said he hopes an increase in parking lot patrol of that area by mall security will stop the vandals.

“A security guard paying more attention to that area may stop it,” he said.

Lufkin Mall did not return calls by The Lufkin Daily News Wednesday.