Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

12
GRAFFITI VANDALISM & PRIVATE BUSINESS In this guide you will find information on: • Reporting graffiti vandalism on your property • Graffiti vandalism removal • Preventing graffiti vandalism • The sale of graffiti implements www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au STATE GRAFFITI TASKFORCE

Transcript of Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

Page 1: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

GRAFFITI VANDALISM & PRIVATE BUSINESS

In this guide you will find information on:

• Reporting graffiti vandalism on your property

• Graffiti vandalism removal

• Preventing graffiti vandalism

• The sale of graffiti implements

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

Page 2: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

A State Graffiti Taskforce initiative

Developed by the Western Australia Police Force Graffiti Team.For more information and to view our full range of resources,

please visit www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

Page 3: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

Private businesses are often targets for graffiti offenders, and managing costs associated with removing graffiti vandalism can be difficult. This guide has been developed by the Western Australia Police Force Graffiti Team to assist private business owners with preventing and managing graffiti on their property. By taking simple steps to report, remove and prevent graffiti; the likelihood of being the target of future graffiti vandalism can be reduced.

What is Graffiti Vandalism?Graffiti vandalism is the marking of a surface by drawing, writing, spraying or scratching without the permission of the property owner. Graffiti vandalism is a criminal offence. Illegal graffiti not only affects the owner of the damaged property, but everyone it’s visible to. It is costly to remove and can make people feel unsafe in their community.

GRAFFITI VANDALISM & PRIVATE BUSINESS

Report, remove, prevent.

Page 4: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

ReportingReporting graffiti vandalism is easy and can be done online at www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Report-Graffiti. Be sure to take photos if you can, and attach these to your online report.If the graffiti is racist or obscene, or you witness someone doing graffiti, please call police on 131 444. If you have information about someone who is a graffiti offender, you can give this information to Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000 or visiting www.crimestopperswa.com.au. You may be eligible for a reward if your information leads to the arrest or caution of an offender.

REPORT If you have graffiti vandalism on your property it is important to make a report to notify police that the incident has occurred. Your report will also be sent to your local council as they may be able to assist with clean up.

Page 5: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.auwww.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

Offenders would like to see their “tag” on your property for as long as possible. Therefore the quicker the graffiti is removed, the less exposure and reward the offender receives; and the less likely they will come back.Each local council has different processes for managing graffiti vandalism. To find out if your local council will remove graffiti from your property, contact them or visit their website.If your local council does not remove from private property, you can find information about cleaning-up graffiti vandalism at www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/remove-graffiti

REMOVE Cleaning up graffiti vandalism quickly is the most effective way of preventing further graffiti.

Page 6: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

PREVENT

Restrict access to areas that could be targetedMaking surfaces harder to reach is a good way of deterring graffiti offenders. • Ensure fencing is maintained and gates are locked when not in use. Palisade or

garrison style fencing is ideal as it’s harder to breach, isn’t suitable for graffiti, and won’t conceal an offender.

• Remove or secure movable objects that could be used to climb onto roofs or scale fencing (such as wheelie bins).

• Install vegetation or other physical barriers to prevent offenders reaching walls or windows. Plants with thorns or thick foliage work well at deterring offenders.

By making small changes to the environment around your business, you can help prevent graffiti from occurring on your property.

Page 7: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

Increase the likelihood an offender will be seen by someone You can deter potential offenders by increasing the likelihood they will be seen by someone: • Increase surveillance of your property by

keeping vegetation below eye-level and using fencing that can be seen through. Solid fencing is not only a target for graffiti, but it also prevents someone possibly seeing an offender on your property.

Page 8: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

• Install motion activated lighting and ensure there are no large areas of shadow that an offender could use as cover. Make sure lighting is installed up high to increase its effectiveness and prevent lights being intentionally damaged.

• CCTV cameras are a good deterrent, especially if no one is around to see an offender. CCTV footage can also be used as evidence if an offence does occur. For more information, please visit www.police.wa.gov.au/ Our-Community/Western-Australian-State-CCTV-Strategy.

Page 9: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

Look after your propertyPlaces that appear unkempt and uncared for can attract graffiti and other crimes:• Keep your property maintained and remove

vandalism quickly and consistently. Graffiti offenders are much less likely to target areas where their tags are removed quickly.

• Define your space as private through fencing, gates and signage. This can help deter opportunistic offending and will draw more attention to someone on your property.

• Get to know other nearby business owners and keep an eye on each other’s property. You may also like to get in touch with your local council to find out if they offer crime prevention support to businesses. Remember to report suspicious behaviour to police immediately on 131 444.

Page 10: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

Limit opportunity for graffiti vandalism to occur• Treat surfaces with anti-graffiti coatings and

scratch resistant films. • Avoid having large blank areas on walls

and fences where possible. Consider textured surfaces, vertical gardens, advertising or artwork to make surfaces less suitable for graffiti.

• Remove graffiti as soon as it appears. The longer it remains there, the greater the reward for the offender.For more information and helpful guides on preventing graffiti, visit www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Prevent.

Page 11: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

This factsheet contains general guidelines for graffiti vandalism.No responsibility is accepted for any damage, injury or loss resulting from application of these guidelines.

STATE GRAFFITITASKFORCE

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

If your business sells implements, it’s important to remember it is an offence to supply these to a person under 18. The penalty for selling an implement to someone under 18 is a maximum fine of $6,000 for a first offence, and a maximum fine of $12,000 for a subsequent offence. Sellers and their employees must take reasonable steps to be satisfied that the purchaser is over 18; such as sighting a driver’s licence or other form of ID. If your business uses or sells spray cans and markers, it is strongly recommended that these are stored in a locked cabinet to prevent theft and access by people under 18.For more information, please visit www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Businesses

SALE OF GRAFFITI IMPLEMENTS

A graffiti implement is a can of spray paint, or a pen or marker with a tip larger than 6mm that contains non-water soluble fluid capable of marking a surface.

Page 12: Graffiti Vandalism and Private Business Soft Copy

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

Goodbye Graffiti:www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au

WA Police Force:www.police.wa.gov.au

Crime Stoppers WA:www.crimestopperswa.com.au

To contact the WA Police Force Graffiti Team, please email [email protected]