Graffitti

[pzarquon]

Re: Graffitti

Police Arrest 3 Teens In Freeway Graffiti Case

Police arrested three teenagers for graffiti as state lawmakers made tagging a more serious crime. Honolulu police Wednesday arrested three boys: a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds in Pearl City. Officers said are the suspects in a case involving graffiti on a sound barrier of the H-1 Freeway. It's in an area that is under construction.

[Moto]

Re: Graffitti

I would rather see, instead of jail time, have the taggers go out on Saturday and Sunday and restore areas on the island in the form of 2000 hours of community service. That should keep these youths busy for about 2 - 3 years on their weekends. The fines should still stay. Also, they sign a waiver before starting their community service stating that they are responsible for the proper safety equipment, etc. and that the State/City bears no liability should they injure themselves performing community service.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Graffitti

Nah, if you do that the state maintenance workers will get pissed off for taking their jobs away

Taggers feel they must leave their marks for everyone to see, sooooooo....tag them! Tatoo a state warning message on their foreheads saying: I vandalized public buildings paid for with your tax dollars. Then release them. The next time they get caught, then put em in jail.

Here's other options:

1) Special license plates denoting their crime
2) Automatic payroll garneshment to pay for graffitti cleaning
3) Restricted future government entitlements
4) Denial of certain loans (mortgages, car loans etc)

In other words make them aware when they mess with the public, the public will mess with them.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Graffitti

Here's other options:

1) Special license plates denoting their crime
2) Automatic payroll garneshment to pay for graffitti cleaning
3) Restricted future government entitlements
4) Denial of certain loans (mortgages, car loans etc)

These punks probably don't own the cars they drive, so a special license plate wouldn't work. It'd be easier to get the violator to perform community service (and jail time if they don't show up) than garnish his/her wages. The restriction on gov't entitlements sounds good, but a automatic denial on a loan wouldn't work either. They banks are private entities, and would rather make a buck than perform what some might consider a civic duty.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Graffitti

Okay how about denial of certain government subidized loans and denial of bus passes. Regarding private loans, by giving banks or lending institutions the right to include wording that would restrict these "punks" to a higher interest rate to qualify for a loan might work.

Putting them in jail works too but jail time means wasteful use of taxpayer monies for taggers. And they may not have cars, but with the threat of marked license plates it may deter them from future activity as they try to mature.

[pzarquon]

Re: Graffitti

I still like my wife's pinky idea best.

Look. Pay garnishment, special license plates and loan penalties won't do crap, because those require these kids have an adult understanding of how stupid they are, and an understanding of how significant or severe certain punishments are. "You will only be able to finance through a second- or third-tier lender!" Oooh, scared of you, bruddah.

I agree, jail is a waste of money. Community service, and an excess of it, makes sense. Then again, so does bringing back stockades and setting them up in the middle of Pearlridge or Kahala mall.

[cezanne]

Re: Graffitti

Maybe instead of the pinky go for the thumb first... hard to hold a spraycan without one's thumb.

[adrian]

Re: Graffitti

An article from KHON's website about the graffitti problem.

As a police officer once said: "When you paint over graffitti, you piss them off and they have to redo it, then its an endless cycle."

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Graffitti

I wonder what the higher cost would be: The money private businesses would spend on cleaning up graffitti, or the money HPD would have to spend in order to ramp up enforcement?

[pzarquon]

Re: Graffitti

I would imagine enforcement would always cost more, as broad prevention is generally more expensive than per-incident reaction. Further, everyone pays for HPD, while only Company X is on the hook for the west-facing wall of their warehouse.

Property damage is a crime, but if a company accepts a certain level of responsibility for the maintenance and security of their facilities, it makes sense I guess that they pay for grafitti clean up. I imagine it's they that will have to make more noise to increase enforcement, or at least penalties.

Already when small businesses are hit, you know that it's an expense that they can't take lightly. As taggers move from commercial properties to residences and private property, I think you'll find public outcry ramp up considerably.

[jdub]

Re: Graffitti

i think the answer might be to appeal to these kids' need to be recognized...maybe providing legitimate outlets for that 'creative' energy will help...let the kids know that clandestine martian scribblings on public property do not an artist make...provide exhibition spaces for these kids...i'd bet that the most egregious offenders could be turned into peer educators and actually help prevent the unseemly vandalism...i know it's been done, but obviously not to the extent that it's had a significant impact on the problem...

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Graffitti

Kapa'a High bans graffiti artists from graduation ceremony

KAPA'A — Five Kaua'i high school seniors are banned from walking with their classmates at tomorrow's graduation ceremony after they admitted to painting graffiti on campus buildings.

The five Kapa'a High School students apologized, put posters up around school saying they were sorry and put their painting skills to good use painting new lines on the parking stalls in the student parking lot.

Classmates and friends also lobbied on their behalf, but principal Gilmore Youn, who made the decision not to allow the five students to participate in the commencement ceremony, wouldn't change his mind.

(Honolulu Advertiser, 5/26/2005)

Graffitti artists?!? Who wrote that headline? Graffitti vandals is more like it.

[cezanne]

Re: Graffitti

Kudos to Principal Youn! It's unfortunate that these kids won't be able to walk with their graduation class but this is a valuable lesson in "actions and consequences".

[jdub]

Re: Graffitti

Kudos to Principal Youn! It's unfortunate that these kids won't be able to walk with their graduation class but this is a valuable lesson in "actions and consequences".

indeed. why not take away the drivers license of any minor convicted?

[lavagal]

Re: Graffitti

Our school just got tagged. It blows my mind. First it was the bathrooms at the park above the sports fields on Poipu Drive in Portlock. I'm talking drawings of mushrooms, and text that can't really be deciphered except for the swear words. So I'm walking my daughter, who'se in kindergarten, to class, and this is what she has to see. Then they hit the big wall above the cafeteria facing Foodland. The problem with our school is that it is so dark there at night, so they just go for it. But it's really quite a personal violation when your kid's school gets it. I'd love to nail them.