BIA and TPD nab five suspects in downtown graffiti crackdown

Graffiti on a building near South Seventh Street and Pacific Avenue. A joint effort of Tacoma police officers and the Business Improvement Area recently resulted in arrests of five graffiti taggers who have allegedly caused ongoing property damage in downtown Tacoma.

By Todd Matthews, Editor
Jan 05 2007

A joint effort of Tacoma police officers and the Business Improvement Area recently resulted in arrests of five graffiti taggers who have allegedly caused ongoing property damage in downtown Tacoma, according to an announcement during yesterday’s meeting of the Downtown Merchants Group.
“We hope it starts to put a crimp in their operations, and other tagging operations,” said Paul Ellis, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber metropolitan development director.
According to Ellis, law enforcement staged a special “graffiti patrol” over the past two weekends near South Seventh Street and Pacific Avenue. The operation existed during early-morning hours when most of the alleged activity occurred. On Jan. 1, BIA patrol members John Leitheiser and Charles Kempel spotted four taggers and contacted TPD officer Jeff Thiry, who made the arrests. A second TPD officer was called for backup when Kempel observed a fifth suspect moving away from the scene. According to Ellis, TPD officers searched the suspects and discovered eleven cans of spray paint. The five suspects were booked into jail for destruction of property.
“It doesn’t mean [the tagging] is done,” said Tacoma police officer Marty Price. By Tuesday, officers found graffiti on property near South 15th Street and Pacific Avenue, near headquarters of Davita and United Way of Piercce County. Officer Price commented that the biggest challenge is catching taggers in the act of destroying property downtown. “It’s a very hit or miss proposition,” he added. “We have to be at the right place at the right time.”
BIA authorized funding for a five-week operation to crack down on graffiti. Because arrests were made over a two-week period, additional funding could continue the program in the near future and in other parts of downtown. Though graffiti downtown has been an ongoing problem, Ellis said this was the first time the issue was approached in this manner.