Graffiti hot spots targetted to "keep a tag on the taggers"

The borough’s most prolific graffiti ‘taggers’ are being targeted in a new council drive to get tough on graffiti.

The Council’s Community Environment Team is drawing up a hit list of the borough’s graffiti hotspots and recording which graffiti ‘tags’ are appearing most frequently. A tag is a nickname or signature used by graffiti vandals to identify themselves.

These areas will now be targeted and monitored to help the council to ‘keep a tag on the taggers’ and deter the most persistent offenders. To help implement the scheme, the council has formed a second graffiti removal team that will work its way around the borough on a monthly rota.

There has been a steady rise in the levels of graffiti in the borough in recent years, but the council is now committed to achieving a drastic reduction in graffiti over the next three years.

According to official figures, 19% of roads the Borough of Hounslow have an unacceptable level of graffiti. The aim is to reduce that figure to just 5% by 2009. This will be achieved by the Council working with other members of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and particularly the Police. For the first time, information on graffiti tags will be recorded and passed on to the Police to assist them in targeting the most prolific taggers.

Last year, a local youth using the tag ‘PYRO’ across Brentford and Chiswick on Network Rail, Council and private property was convicted of criminal damage. Part of his punishment involved cleaning off some of the tags he created.

Hounslow Council’s lead member for the environment, Cllr Barbara Reid (pictured right), said “Graffiti is a terrible blight that makes local people feel unhappy and unsafe. As part of our commitment to changing Hounslow for the better, we are determined to take tough action on the problem.”

“The council is committed to reducing the levels of graffiti in the borough over the next three years. Mobilising our new graffiti removal team to target the borough’s graffiti hotspots is the first step to achieving this goal.”

To help tackle the problem, the public are being urged to report graffiti to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Any racist graffiti should be reported to the Graffiti Hotline 020 8583 2620 and will be removed within one working day.

For general information and advice contact the Community Environment Team on 020 8583 5555 or email streetcare@hounslow.gov.uk.

July 17, 2006