( ok, racist slant aside)
If I read your post right your girls were with you? How did they respond? I only ask because we have had some vandalism in our neighborhood. We have one group of teenagers (probably) destroying mailboxes and this has happen 3 x and then we had a "gang" (per police) that went around breaking into cars. One car was stolen from our street and about 7 cars broken into w/ things taken. There are only about 11 houses on our street and it is separate from the main development ( the main development was hit as well)
My DD is 4 and she has turned into a watch dog
as far as the mailboxes are concerned and it really UPSETS her terribly to see the mailboxes on our street annihilated again. She has ask tons of questions, etc.
Just the little bit of vandalism we have encountered has kind of put me on edge and more concern for our safety. Especially since my real watch dog is a mini poodle with the heart of a German Shephard and I am a Single mom so no big tough man there to protect us!