Cameras Installed to Catch Graffiti Vandals

June 20, 2007 02:47 PM PDT

Graffiti related crime is the number one property crime in Nevada and it costs millions of dollars to clean up.

On Wednesday, the city of Las Vegas issued a report on how big the problem is and some suggestions on how to correct it.

The city is installing cameras with global positioning systems in different parts of the city to help catch vandals in the act. The city will collect the information and pass it on to Metro for them to investigate and cross reference that information with information they might have on gangs and taggers in the area.

Stephen Harsin the director of Neighborhood Services for the city of Las Vegas says using GPS camera's to catch taggers will help save tax payer money.

"Its very hard to get ahead of the game with the various technology and the collaboration we're doing we're just trying the catch up," Harsin said.

There is also a new law that may help fight the graffiti problem. It names June 23, 2007 as the first annual Graffiti Awareness Day. The bill also strengthens current laws for graffiti related crimes including being able to suspend or deny the driver's license suspended or denied for juveniles. Also, adults can now be charged with a misdemeanor if they're caught with graffiti related items.