LAGG MEDIA posted on October 30, 2010 15:18
GRAFFITI artists in Redland city have been warned to put their spray cans down or face a jail sentence.
The warning came after Redalnd City Council on Wednesday set aside $103,000 for an 18-month trial to remove graffiti that can be seen from prominent public places such as major roads or adjoining council land.
Although the council is unsure of the exact cost of cleaning up all publicly viewable graffiti on private property, estimates claim it would add about $70,000 to the budget.
It was hoped that the initiative would see a reduction in graffiti in the city, councillor Craig Ogilvie (Div 2) told this month's Planning and Policy Committee meeting.
"Making property owners pay to clean up graffiti is like fining victims of crime," Cr Ogilvie said.
"Major streets such as Bloomfield Street need to be kept clear of graffiti.
"There are children and elderly people using these areas and citizens need to have a sense of safety as they move around the city."
Graffiti removal officers would be employed and a comprehensive set of guidelines drawn up for removing graffiti from private property.
Information gathered during the trial would be used in the council's graffiti data base, expected to be up and running by the end of the month.
The data base, part of the the council's "zero tolerance" stance on graffiti, would allow people to report graffiti via a website instead of having to go into a police station.
Emails of photographs of the vandalism would also be stored on the data base.
Police have welcomed the trial.
Senior Constable Jill Sparkes, from Cleveland police station, said she hoped the initiative would encourage more people to report graffiti.
She said police had declared war on graffiti artists who have left more than 1000 "tags" around Finucane Road, Alexandra Hills and Vienna Woods Primary School.
Senior Constable Sparkes said rewards are offered to anyone with information that leads to the apprehension of a graffiti artist.
Before the council's data base is up and running, anyone who can identify a graffiti artist can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and remain anonymous