The permanent markings of graffiti

The permanent markings of graffiti

Waverley Councillor Joy Clayton has called for action against graffiti in the eastern suburbs amid concerted efforts to crack down on perpetrators.

The notorious tag, ‘FUNDS’, has appeared again, this time on the corner of Penkivil St and Bondi Rd in Bondi. The tag has been commonly seen on buildings, public transport and infrastructure in the eastern suburbs.

However, NSW Police as yet have no record of the tag. Eastern Suburbs Crime Manager Anne Loughman said that a number of suspects has been identified. “There are a number of people that could be linked to that tag, [but] nobody has been charged in relation to it,” she said.

Ms Clayton said graffiti tags are costly for Council to remove.

“Those who vandalise the public domain with these tags should be dealt with as soon as possible. It would be helpful if residents would report anyone tagging buildings so that they can be apprehended and charged accordingly,” she said.

Council implements a management policy aiming to swiftly reduce the social, environmental and economic impact of graffiti. Ms Clayton said more can be done to get the message across that “we need to get rid of all graffiti out there”.

According to Graffiti Clean, vandalism costs local councils and property owners in excess of $300 million each year in NSW alone.

A spokesperson for Council said Waverley is committed to reducing and discouraging incidents of graffiti in the LGA.

“Council’s Graffiti Management Policy covers the following four areas relating to graffiti: prevention, protection and removal, information, and prosecution,” said the spokesperson.

Police investigate malicious damage offences only if they are reported, and often the immediate response of councils in the removal of graffiti complicates statistics. Tags sometimes use the name of the tagger, and police use this information as well as comparisons between styles to investigate potential offenders.

Legislative changes introduced last year have made it tougher for perpetrators in the hope of deterring juvenile offenders. The Graffiti Legislation Amendment Act 2012 imposes additional penalties including fines, community service work and delaying the awarding of a driver’s licence.

Waverley Council has a dedicated removal truck aimed at taking down graffiti within the Waverley municipality. Graffiti removal day is a state-wide initiative coming up on Sunday, October 20. The aim of the day is to encourage people to volunteer their time to get involved in the removal and prevention of graffiti.

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