Crimestoppers Cash to Wipe Out Graffiti

Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Crimestoppers has joined forces for the first time with the five local authorities in West Yorkshire to launch a new campaign to wipe out graffiti in the community. Crimestoppers is offering a £500 reward to people who ring in with names of graffiti artists who are then arrested and charged with criminal damage. Yorkshire and Humber Crimestoppers Detective Constable Kevin Mosley said: “Graffiti is an eyesore in the community and makes people think the area is suffering from high levels of crime, which isn’t necessarily the case. “What we’re asking the public to do is ring us on 0800 555 111 with information about those individuals they know are responsible. If that person is arrested and then charged with criminal damage the caller can claim a £500 reward. It is a simple as that and the caller always remains anonymous.” Each local authority has created posters of the most commonly seen graffiti tags, which will be displayed in shops in the worst affected areas. The information passed to Crimestoppers will be followed up locally by the Anti-Social Behaviour Units consisting of police officers and local authority partners. Crimestoppers is also appealing to shops selling specialist artist’s paint, permanent marker pens or cans of car paint to think carefully about who they are selling to. DC Mosley said: “If a youth comes into your shop to buy a can of car paint, then ask yourself why, particularly if they don’t even look old enough to drive. You can help play an important part in cutting graffiti levels too. In March this year a similar high profile campaign in Nottingham was immensely successful in cutting graffiti levels. DC Mosley added: “Together let’s ‘wipe out’ graffiti in your community. Help us to help you make a difference to your quality of life because everyone deserves to live in a clean and graffiti-free environment.” Regional Co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Ian Froggett added: “This is about transferring fear of crime from the community back to the criminal who will always be looking over their shoulder to see who is watching. “It is exciting to be working so closely with every single authority for the first time to wipe out graffiti in the community.” The campaign is being launched on a trial basis and its success is to be evaluated. Local Authority Quotes: Wakefield Councillor Clive Hudson from Wakefield Council said: "We are determined to stop the people who blight our District with graffiti. Those responsible for this are not just spoiling our communities, they are committing criminal damage. Through Crimestoppers we are hoping people will help us wipe out graffiti and remember that crime doesn't pay but stopping the criminals does." Kirklees Councillor Ann Raistrick, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet member for Supporting Communities, and also chair of the Kirklees Safer Communities Partnership Board, said: “The council and its partners have many initiatives to act on graffiti as quickly as possible. This includes a rapid response team to remove offensive graffiti. “Another aspect is initiatives to try and prevent graffiti in the first place, such as working with partners on the ‘proof of age’ scheme to reduce the opportunities of spray paints being sold to under age children in the first place. “This is a team effort, which the council and its partners in Kirklees are fully behind.” Councillors Ann Raistrick and Ann Denham will be present at the launch. Bradford Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “Graffiti is a blight on the environment and can often increase the fear of crime in the community. We are delighted to be involved in this new initiative which we are confident will deter such antisocial behaviour.” Leeds Leeds City Council Lead Member for Enforcement, Councillor Ryk Downes, said: “Graffiti is a terrible blight on our city and a serious environmental issue. “It contributes to the decline of a neighbourhood, exasperates the fear of crime and undermines those who are working so hard to improve their surroundings. “It costs the city of Leeds on average “250,000 a year to remove graffiti – that’s taxpayers’ money which could be spent on a school or older people’s home. “We are determined to crack down on graffiti and will be working very closely with police to gather evidence and take action against offenders.” Calderdale Councillor Grenvile Horsfall, Chair of Calderdale’s Community Safety Partnership, said: “Calderdale Council is determined to remove graffiti from the streets as quickly as possible and works closely with its partners to achieve this. “But people need to realise that this is also a serious crime and we need the help of the public in trying to identify the culprits. We hope that this scheme will encourage people to come forward and help stop those people who are spoiling our communities in this way.”