In the last six weeks members of the Northern Public Order Response Team’s Graffiti Task Force have detected several people for graffiti offences in Launceston.

Six Launceston males aged between 17 and 19 have been apprehended for about 360 items of graffiti, stemming from the use of nine different “tags”.

A 17 year old will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act, two 18 year olds and a 19 year old were arrested and will appear in court, another 18 and 19 year old will be charged by summons.  Charges laid will be for criminal damage, mark graffiti and trespass offences.

Police will allege that one of the males has been responsible for 140 offences, mainly in the central area of the city with damage estimates being in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Graffiti in public spaces not only ruins the appearance of an area but also has a significant impact on the perception of security in an otherwise safe city.  Tasmania Police are committed to apprehending offenders.

It is also important that graffiti is removed in a timely manner to deter offenders.

A 2007 U.S. Department of Justice (Deborah Lamm Weisel) report on Graffiti stated, “Rapid identification and removal of graffiti has been shown to reduce its occurrence.  This approach directly addresses the motives of many offenders by reducing the notoriety associated with graffiti’s visibility.”

Investigators have identified that most of the graffiti dealt with has been in place for several months without being removed, this has resulted in a gradual build up.  Such lengthy exposure encourages further offences as offenders receive a higher level of satisfaction.

While police will be seeking restitution orders from the court to have offenders remove or repair damage in relation to these offences, this will take time.

In the mean while, we are seeking the cooperation of property owners in making a concerted effort to remove the graffiti from their buildings and other infrastructure.

Commander Richard Cowling and Mayor Van Zetten today discussed new approaches to target the issue of Graffiti in Launceston.

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