Tackling the Teen Taggers

If he did they would be dealt with, for they are causing thousands of dollars worth of damage each week.

Constable Stevenson is seconded from his normal police duties for 20 hours a week to coordinate intelligence regarding graffiti and work on inter- agency approaches to the problem.

Some taggers have been prosecuted. Punishment has ranged from community service, paying for the cost of the damage to periodic detention.

The Youth Aid Section deals with children under 14 and those over 14 can be charged in the Youth Court.

Constable Stevenson believes a pro- active and reactive approach is required, along with an educational role.

He says offenders start at 11 or 12, usually marking their schoolbooks. Offending continues up to about 18 years. Christchurch has a hard core of graffiti artists who are mostly males from 15 to 17.

The scope of the vandalism is outlined in a new Council report prepared by Sarah Wylie, a social research consultant. The report contains extensive detail about the problem and suggests ways to prevent it.

The Council has set up a working party to tackle the matter and its co- ordinator, Robyn Moore, says the group will look at various measures which can be used.

At present a number of groups are involved at great cost in cleaning up graffiti.

Constable Stevenson welcomes the working party and is hopeful that "bright ideas" arise from it.

The public can help by informing the police about new graffiti, documenting it with a photograph for police use, and removing it as soon as possible.