Graffiti fines pushed

BIZ officials say it's destroying city's image

By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER

Mon, January 3, 2005

Attention, all graffiti taggers: prepare to be fined for your reckless artwork. Armed with a 19-page petition, the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone will head to city hall this week to tell councillors that "graffiti tickets" -- much like parking and speeding citations -- must be issued against those caught tagging properties.

"If the vandal does not pay and accrues several tickets, he or she could face community service or even jail time," BIZ executive director Stefano Grande wrote in a Dec. 21 letter to Mayor Sam Katz.

Grande wrote that it's crucial to present the city in the best light possible during the months ahead as "the nation is turning its eyes to Winnipeg for the Juno Awards," which will bring stars and executives here in April.

The new push is the second part of a two-pronged campaign to convince the city and province to penalize graffiti vandals much more quickly and forcefully.

'HORRIBLE' BLIGHT

Downtown BIZ officials have met with Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh, telling him the Doer government has failed to sufficiently penalize taggers who are destroying the city's image and economy.

Grande could not be reached for comment, though BIZ safety director Rick Joyal recently told The Sun far more must be done to attack the "horrible" blight on walls and fences citywide.

More than $1 million is spent annually by its members, the city and Take Pride Winnipeg to remove graffiti, according to the BIZ. The letter stated the graffiti causes entrepreneurs to suffer, threatens housing values and hurts the city's reputation.

Several city councillors, including Russ Wyatt (Transcona) and Mark Lubosch (North Kildonan), have criticized the city's anti-graffiti efforts -- arguing that the $408,000 spent in 2004 is far short of what's needed.

Katz's office didn't return a call for comment on the possibility of city police slapping tickets on spray-paint scofflaws.

Mackintosh has said he welcomes new approaches to fight graffiti, but cautioned that fine penalties could mean veering away from enforcement under the Criminal Code -- and that might "lower the seriousness of the offence, which is criminal right now."

He noted that city-provincial measures have included the Off The Wall program, which uses young offenders to clean paint from properties.

"We've got very innovative programs in Winnipeg that the province has been providing leadership on," Mackintosh said.

"But it takes a lot of partners to make a strong program."