laws need to be changed
Until laws get put into place to better counteract graffiti...it will never change.
I propose the following.
Anyone being caught doing grafitti first time will be fined $15,000 and be forced to put in 1000 hours of community time cleaning grafitti. Of the 1000 hour of community service...grafitti not cleaned up in time by the vandal will result in additional time (penalties) being added to the sentence. Each grafitti incident will be alloted a fix time against their sentence once cleaned up. This will work because it is grafitti vandals now cleaning up after other grafitti vandals.
Second offences...fines and time double. Third offences...fines and time double. Vandals that are juveniles will have the penalties fall on their parents/guardians. If you don't know where your kids are and they are getting into trouble...they are responsible.
Now the fines are used as follows. $5000 will be allocated to materials for cleaning grafitti. $10,000 will be allocated to crime stoppers. Anyone that catches a grafitti vandal in the act (films them or reports in progress) which results in an arrest and conviction will receive $10,000 flat. People are now incentived to put cameras up and/or watch problem areas and try and catch these guys. Catching repeat offenders and having them convicted...there is a bonus attached. More incentives to catch them. People that have vandals targetting their home or business or neighbourhood...can put up a cheap camera system and catch them...and make money. Who knows...maybe some entrepenurial types will start a business busting these vandals.
Jsut a thought.
This now becomes a proactive enforcement loop that penalizes offenders.
Judges should also be allowed to add additional time for more egregious incidents like those involving memorials, cemeteries, hate crimes etc.
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