Grilled over graffiti

Police have allegedly identified Pakenham's worst paint vandal.129810_02

By ANEEKA SIMONIS

AN 18-YEAR-OLD Pakenham man, who is believed to be the shire’s worst graffiti offender, has been interviewed by police.
Police recently seized evidence in the Pakenham area which led them to the teen who was interviewed on Monday 16 March in relation to 80 graffiti-related offences on private and public buildings in the area.
Senior Sergeant Nathan Prowd said Cardinia Shire Council worked together to identify many of the vandalism incidents which, they believe, can be traced back to the 18-year-old.
“As a result of information received via a member of the public to Crime Stoppers, police executed a warrant in the Pakenham area seizing items of evidence,” he said.
Sen Sgt Prowd said police believed the teen used a specific tag which helped them link separate graffiti incidents.
Former Department of Corrections criminologist and Cardinia Shire Councillor Jodie Owen said graffiti vandals were usually male and begin tagging from 12 years of age which inducts them to a life built on chasing bigger and bigger criminal rushes.
“Those that subscribe to this life get a rush out of it. They start taking more risks to get a bigger rush and in most cases we find drugs are involved,” she said.
“Sadly for us, ice is the drug at the moment. Ice revs a person up so they become more confident in what they are doing.”
Graffiti can reduce property value by up to 10 per cent and creates dangerous perceptions about vandalised areas, according to Cr Owen.
“If you don’t clean up tagging, there are further costs to residents that most don’t consider. For example, in Lakeside, there is not a lot of graffiti. But there are other parts of shire with a lot. If you asked a resident, they’d automatically give the answer that houses in the tagged area were not worth as much,” she said.
“Once that perception is formed, there is an impact on land and house sales.”
Sen Sgt Prowd agreed.
“It’s bad for local amenities. A lot of research shows that if a place is graffitied or defaced, it attracts more crime in the area. That’s why we encourage residents to remove graffiti immediately … It brings down the perception of safety in the area,” he said.
The 18-year-old Pakenham man was released, pending application for a summons to present the matter to Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
Cardinia Shire Council issue affected residents with easy-to-use graffiti removal wipes and work closely with Correctional Services Victoria who visit fortnightly to clean up after taggers.
Police request individuals report suspicious activity to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or lodge a report at https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.