SALISBURY, N.C. -- Walls, doors and vans along a Salisbury street were plastered with graffiti over the weekend.

Someone vandalized a total of seven businesses along South Main Street.

Danny Wyatt leases one of the buildings.

"Don't know why someone would want to do it. Kids trying to mess up people's property when they want to make a point to somebody else," he said.

Whatever the point is that vandals are trying to make, it's not being taken lightly by police. Detectives said some of the graffiti is gang-related, while other symbols and words are racist.

Raymond Moore owns several of the buildings that were hit. He said he believes vandalism and gang violence is growing in cities surrounding Charlotte.

"We're not immune to it. We're just a smaller city, but percentage wise we've probably got the same percentage. I can see it, sure," he said.

Now Moore and Wyatt are taking matters into their own hands. Both are buying surveillance cameras.

Wyatt said his cameras will be virtually invisible.

"When they come out, you won't be able to know where they're at and you will be on film. It'll be like candid camera. Smile, because we got you," he said.

Wyatt said he'd been debating putting cameras outside his business. He said they'll be up and running this week.

At the same time, police said they are doing their own special enforcement to stop the vandals.