Source: New Zealand Police
Police have arrested a North Canterbury resident for over 500 tags in various locations throughout Kaikoura, Canterbury and Dunedin.
The 23-year-old man will be appearing in the Christchurch District Court on 5 December on charges of entering agricultural land with intent and wilful damage for graffiti.
Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel says that Police are happy to have the brazen tagger off the streets.
“Not only was the offender spray painting his ‘tag’ everywhere, he was also taking videos of his offending and posting them to social media and benefitting from the notoriety.”
The offending tag was found on public bridges, toilets, walls, rubbish bins, walkways, light posts, former gun emplacements, train tracks, water tanks and drainage pipes.
“The offending leaves a lasting piece of graffiti on the public structures, and in some instances the offender has spray painted the same spot after councils have cleaned up their prior graffiti.”
“Graffiti or tagging is considered as intentionally damaging property, and we’ll hold offenders to account,” says Senior Sergeant McDaniel.
If anyone sees illegal graffiti being undertaken, let Police know. Call 111 if its an emergency or 105 if its after the fact.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
