By Denise Deason
WYNDHAM City Council has introduced another weapon in its fight against graffiti – an after-hours and weekend graffiti hotline, extending the service to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Councillor Henry Barlow wants to take the initiative a step further by making it not only a number people can call to report graffiti locations but a “dob-in line” so people can report perpetrators.
“This line is not just about reporting graffiti so council can come and clean it off,” he said.
“Maybe teenagers, who are sick and tired of seeing graffiti where they live, can ring anonymously and say it’s being done by so-and-so – and dob them in. Parents who feel they’ve had enough could feel better by dobbing in their son or daughter.
“And it’s not just about kids.
“It’s well documented that older people do it too. Graffiti is vandalism. This line is about helping to catch the perpetrators.
“Wouldn’t it be great to catch graffiti vandals in the act and have them clean up the damage they have done to buildings and fences.”
Cr Peter Ross saw an advantage in a hotline.
“To notify council when graffiti is happening will allow us a rapid response,” he said.
Cr Bob Fairclough said graffiti was such a big issue in the community.
“Many people find graffiti offensive and an invasion of their privacy,” he said.
The council voted to introduce the hotline, as well as allocate an additional $8000 for two more artworks under the shared cost mural program, seen as a preventative measure.
The Graffiti Management Strategy has been allocated $421,668 in the 2007-08 proposed budget.
About 25,000 square metres of graffiti has been cleared from properties in the first year of the strategy’s operation.
The graffiti hotline number is 9742 8140.
