VANDALISM, ALTHOUGH A BASIC HUMAN REACTION, IS AN ENIGMA. IT IS A WIDESPREAD AND HIGHLY VISIBLE PROBLEM, YET BECAUSE ITS COSTS ARE USUALLY ABSORBED IN A PARK SYSTEM'S OPERATING BUDGET IT CAN DISAPPEAR IN AN ACCOUNTING PROBLEM. IT IS AN ANONYMOUS AND SENSELESS ACT, YET EVERYONE KNOWS WHO DOES IT AND WHY. THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM IS DIFFICULT TO GAUGE, BECAUSE NOT ALL CITIES KEEP SEPARATE RECORDS OF VANDALISM. HOWEVER, THE LOS ANGELES RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS KEPT CLOSE TRACK OF VANDALISM SINCE 1970, DOCUMENTED $284,592 IN VANDALISM LOSSES DURING 1974. THERE ARE TWO GENERAL SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT WITH REGARD TO DEALING WITH PARK VANDALISM, ONE FOCUSING ON THE VANDALS AND THE OTHER FOCUSING ON THE PARKS. TRYING TO REDUCE PARK VANDALISM BY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE VANDAL INVOLVES BREAKING DOWN PHYSICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL BARRIERS THAT BUILD RESENTMENT IN PEOPLE. SENSITIVITY TO COMMUNITY DEMANDS-E.G., HIRING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS LIFEGUARDS AT A NEIGHBORHOOD POOL -- CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN COMBATING VANDALISM, AS CAN A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IDENTITY. CERTAIN PHYSICAL DETERRENTS TO VANDALISM (GOOD LIGHTING, FREQUENT POLICE PATROLS, CONSISTENT MAINTENANCE, ETC.) HAVE PROVED EFFECTIVE IN SOME CITIES. HOWEVER, CITIES SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO 'VANDAL-PROOF' THEIR PARKS. (LKM)