The City of Renton rewards those who provide information that leads to the apprehension of graffiti vandals with up to $300.
Renton Police scored a recent victory in the city’s ongoing campaign against graffiti with the arrest of the person who tagged the downtown Renton Library with the word “Reckless” written in red.
The witness who came forward with the key information will receive a $300 reward from the city.
“Graffiti is an invitation for criminal behavior and sends a message that we do not care about our city,” said Mayor Denis Law. “I am very pleased to report that we are making great strides in the fight against graffiti. Since we launched our comprehensive anti-graffiti initiative in 2009, graffiti in our city has dropped by 60 percent.”
The City of Renton launched its aggressive campaign against graffiti in 2009 called Wipe Out Graffiti. Under the Graffiti Control Ordinance, graffiti offenders are prosecuted to pay damages, public funds are used for graffiti removal and the city is able to assign up to a $5,000 liability to the parent of a minor who commits graffiti vandalism. It also authorizes the city to offer up to a $300 reward for information leading to the identification and apprehension of any person who commits graffiti vandalism.
“I want to personally thank the witness for calling 911 and helping us catch the vandal,” said Law. “I applaud the efforts of all our city departments and the community groups who have been working together to aggressively fight graffiti. If you see graffiti vandal in action, please call 911 immediately so that our police officers can stop them in their tracks.”
Cameras have been installed by the city in “hot spots” around town to help identify and prosecute vandals. A part-time graffiti abatement coordinator has been assigned and the city has partnered with local businesses and the community to launch a comprehensive education campaign.
The city has seen success with their efforts. Reported cases of graffiti in Renton decreased from an annual total of 2,975 in 2009 to 1,927 in 2010, with a current count of 979 in 2011. The overall decrease was 35 percent from 2009 to 2010 and 60 percent from 2009 to 2011. Thirteen arrests for graffiti-related crimes have been made since 2010.
City departments have removed graffiti on public property, and organized anti-graffiti sweeps and volunteer work parties to remove graffiti and keep Renton’s neighborhoods graffiti-free. The city’s program also offers free graffiti abatement kits to individuals who have been victimized by graffiti on their property and have limited means to deal with removing it. The kits are available at Renton City Hall, the Renton Community Center and other public facilities throughout Renton.
The campaign encourages people to report graffiti by calling the graffiti hotline, 425-430-7373, or 911 if they see “tagging” in progress.
To volunteer or participate in the city’s program call 425-430-7362.
