Graffiti Given the Hard Scrub Under New Laws

Graffiti Given the Hard Scrub Under New Laws The State Government has introduced tough new graffiti laws in support of councils, businesses and homeowners who are burdened with the cost of graffiti vandalism. The new Graffiti Vandalism Bill 2015 creates a stand-alone graffiti offence which carries significant maximum penalties of a $24,000 fine and/or two years behind bars. Additionally, the new bill includes:mandatory clean-up orders for convicted vandals;confiscation of property, such as smart phones and laptops, used to record and transmit graffiti vandalism;strengthened Public Transport Authority (PTA) powers to ban serial offenders from buses, trains and stations;maintaining local government powers to enter private property to remove graffiti;an offence for possession of a graffiti tool or implement.”These new laws support local councils, business and home owners who deal with the grind of cleaning up graffiti vandalism,”Deputy Premier and Police Minister Liza Harvey said.”Now offenders will understand the effort it takes to clean up and have plenty of time to rethink their unacceptable behaviour.”The Property Council has been an active participant in the Government’s Graffiti Taskforce which has been working hard on strategies to combat graffiti in WA. The cost of removing graffiti vandalism for councils, businesses and home owners is substantial with figures showing that in 2012-13 it was $7.99 million and in 2013-14, $7.84 million.