Tawa Residents Offered $100 to 'Dob-in a Tagger'

Tagging and graffiti have become increasingly visible in Tawa over recent months, resulting in a rise in complaints from locals. The Council is taking action to deal with the problem by offering a $100 incentive to Tawa residents who help Police catch the taggers.

The offer is an extension of the Council's 'dob-in a tagger' scheme which has been successful in reducing tagging in other parts of the city.

Tawa Police are particularly interested in the identities of those behind the 'DEOIL' and 'PE' balloon-style tags that have been blighting the local area. If you know who is responsible for these or other tags, contact Tawa Community Constable Peter Reeves in confidence on (04) 232 3160. Constable Reeves says people with information should rest assured their identities will remain anonymous.

The 'dob-in' scheme has successfully caught more than 20 prolific taggers in the Wellington area this year. The Council's CitiOperations Manager, Mike Mendonca, says this has led to a marked reduction in tagging in the city's eastern and southern suburbs and he is confident a similar result can be achieved in Tawa.

"A number of Tawa residents have been in touch with us to complain about the rise in tagging in their area. We've decided to expand our successful 'dob-in a tagger' scheme to Tawa in order to tackle the problem.

"We are also asking local businesses not to sell spray paint to high-school students. Businesses should ask for identification if a customer looks under 18 years old, and not sell to an adult if it is obvious they are buying spray paint for someone under 18."

Most taggers are high-school males from 13 - 17 years of age. Constable Reeves has some tips for parents who suspect their son or daughter may be a tagger:

Check your teenagers' rooms for cans of spray paint. If you find any, ask them why they have it and confiscate it.
Look for sheets of paper with the same tagging signature repeated many times.
Talk to them about the consequences of their actions, the damage they do and the impact on victims.
Mention the trouble they would be in when caught by the Police. This includes a Police record, parents being involved, apologising to all the victims and community service.
If you suspect your son or daughter is a tagger, Constable Reeves would be happy to have a friendly word to them about the consequences if they continue to tag.

If your property has been tagged, take a photo of the tag and come down to the Tawa Police station in the Tawa Community Centre, Cambridge Street, Tawa. If you can, paint over the tag straight away - this prevents the tagger becoming 'famous'. A tagged wall, if not cleaned up immediately, will attract other taggers.

If you do not have the paint or can not afford it, call Wellington City Council on (04) 499 4444. The Council's graffiti removal squad will paint over the tagging as soon as possible.