Government Cracks Down On Tagging

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Police and Justice Minister Annette King announced today a government crackdown on tagging and other forms of graffiti vandalism.

Helen Clark said that tagging is no mere nuisance crime.

"Tagging is a destructive crime and represents an invasion of private and public property.

"Its presence in an area also contributes to fears that the place is not safe. That too is destructive of communities," Helen Clark said.

The Labour-led Government’s crackdown, backed by the Stop Tagging Our Place (STOP) Strategy, will see:

• A new offence for tagging and graffiti vandalism in the Summary Offences Act, and increased fines and/or effective community sentences.

  "Until now, offenders have been merely charged with ‘defacing’, with a maximum fine of $200.

  "Now the maximum fine will be $2,000 and/or a community-based sentence.

  "That sentence will enable judges to require offenders to undertake community work which puts right the wrong they’ve done, like cleaning up tagging and graffiti vandalism in their own communities," Helen Clark and Annette King said. 

• Banning the sale of spraycans of paint to those under the age of eighteen

  "Most taggers are in their teens, and we intend to make it much harder for them to access their tools of vandalism.

  "Restricting access will also help prevent young people becoming part of the tagging sub-culture," Helen Clark said.

  A person who sells spraycans to under-eighteens will commit an offence punishable by a fine of up to $1500.

  Shopkeepers will also be required to keep spraycans secured so that people cannot access them without the help of shop staff. Shopkeepers who fail to secure spraycans will be committing an offence and be liable to a fine of up to $1500. 

• New funding for anti-tagging and anti-graffiti vandalism initiatives:

  $6 million is available over the next three years ($2 million per annum) to support community action to combat this vandalism. Of this: 

  • $800,000 per annum goes to the Graffiti Vandalism Small Initiatives Fund. Grants of up to $20,000 each will be available for NGOs, iwi, and local authorities for anti-graffiti vandalism initiatives in local areas. These grants are intended for smaller organisations or smaller population areas with limited problems. 
  • $1 million per annum goes to the Graffiti Vandalism Contestable Fund available to local government. It will support larger scale programmes with a city or district wide approach. 
  • $200,000 per annum will be available for use for restorative justice for victims of tagging and graffiti vandalism and the offenders responsible. 
• The STOP Strategy will support targeted law enforcement by police in tagging hot spots. This includes drawing on the 250 extra Community Police Officers who will be in the force by 2009. 

The Government is seeking further input to the STOP Strategy before finalising it.

An Advisory Group is to be appointed and will include local government representation, NGOs, and government agencies responsible for the rail track and highways. The nationwide strategy will be considered by Cabinet by July.

Helen Clark and Annette King said that the Labour-led Government is determined to partner with communities to deal to taggers and graffiti vandalism.

"We look forward to working with local government and community groups to combat this destructive behaviour in our communities," Helen Clark and Annette King said.