The vandals costing us nearly $25 million a year
There are two categories of graffiti vandals: hardcore and taggers.
Collectively they cost the state up to around $25 million a year.
Hardcore offenders are generally older (up to late 20s) and are highly respected by other graffiti vandals. Taggers are younger and show no artistic ability – they simply leave their distinguishing ‘tags’ in as many places as possible.
Both are causing continual and costly damage to both public and private property across WA.
The Graffiti Hotline is just one part of the State Government’s $3.6 million graffiti reduction strategy and so far it has been well received according to the Office of Crime Prevention, which manages the hotline.
More than 2,200 calls have been taken in the past six months. Office of Crime Prevention Director, Wendy Murray, says the response indicates how fed-up the public is with this kind of vandalism.
By directly calling the Graffiti Hotline, incidents can be dealt with and the damage repaired more swiftly than by calling the police.
Reducing the amount of time that graffiti has public exposure, diminishes the level of ‘reward’ for the graffiti vandal. This is why immediate reporting is important.
The RAC believes that the government should also take a longer term view of vandalism and the wider problem of anti-social behaviour by utilising ‘designing out crime’ techniques.
It is known that graffiti causes people to feel anxious and afraid for their safety. This is one reason why the RAC has asked for a safety audit of train stations - to find ways to stop graffiti before it even starts.
If your property is vandalised with graffiti you should report it as soon as possible by calling the hotline.
It is also useful to photograph the damage and submit the images as part of your report. Where damage is significant – on a wide scale and/or includes racist or obscene language – you can also request a police forensic investigation.
Graffiti Hotline: 1800 44 22 55
Crime prevention
