New task force to wipe out graffiti
Posted Dec 8, 2011 1:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Graffiti vandals are the target of a joint task force being launched in Calgary.
The announcement comes as police charge an 18-year old man with 23 counts of mischief for allegedly vandalizing a Calgary war memorial.
A warship at the Calgary Solider’s Memorial was vandalized sometime between August 21st and September 8th.
Police, bylaw, and transit officers are working together to nab taggers who they say cost tax-payers millions every year.
Brian Whitelaw, the head of public safety and enforcement for Calgary Transit, says graffiti costs transit $3-million dollars alone. He says what many consider to be low level offences do have a significant impact on community fear.
“What that means to us is that more customers will feel safe riding transit and won’t have that subliminal message of graffiti behind them all the time,” said Whitelaw.
The task force is also behind the new website www.graffitifreecalgary.ca
Fines for taggers who get caught are to to $5,000.
