Police and School work to combat Graffiti (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Police and School work to combat Graffiti

October 3, 2005 8:55 PM

graffiti found near Greendown School in West Swindon

Three years after the Liberal Democrats raised the problem and suggested proposals to combat the scourge of graffiti in West Swindon, the police and a secondary school will form a partnership to seek out children who carry spray paint and thick marker pens to school.

Police are to 'stop and search' students outside Greendown School in Grange Park and will arrest pupils carrying spray paint. One option being considered is to place pupils caught with graffiti materials into a chain-gang who will be armed with cleaning equipment to clean up neighbouring housing estates.

Lib Dem Cllr Chris Shepherd (Freshbrook & Grange Park ward) said:

"My colleagues and I raised the menace of graffiti in Swindon back in September 2002. We suggested purchasing a high-powered jet to remove graffiti from walls; encouraging shopkeepers refuse to sell spray paint to school aged pupils and make those found guilty of causing graffiti crime responsible to clean up the mess.

"The only way to stop the epidemic of juvenile graffiti spreading is to work with our partners in schools and police. Nobody should claim that graffiti is all down to school pupils, but starting in schools with an education programme about fostering community pride in Swindon is a good place to start.

"Repeatedly on the doorstep and at community meetings, residents regularly complain about the mess left by a small irritating minority who graffiti walls, lampposts, street signs and buildings. I am glad that it was the Lib Dems who raised this problem and put forward options to clean up our estates. Its is especially encouraging that a couple of years later the schools and local police are working together to sort out the problem."

Liberal Democrats successfully argued that graffiti was a public nuisance and an environmental blight which made people feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods.

Community beat officer for the area, PC Paul Matthews said: "The police, council and school itself are concerned by high levels of graffiti in Grange Park. It is a problem and we are determined to put a stop to it. People living in the area have commented about the graffiti Â it puts house prices down. A lot attribute it to the school. In view of that the school feels very strongly that it wants to put something back into the community."

The original 2002 Liberal Democrat proposals included:

Ban sale of graffiti materials (thick marker pens, spray paint, etc) to children under 16
Making offenders clear up their vandalism through court orders
Cleaning off racist graffiti with a power-spray machine

Supplying free graffiti clean-up packs to residents groups to keep their communities clean and tidy
Encourage the use of anti-graffiti materials in the construction of new public buildings

In bringing the motion to Council, Liberal Democrats had hoped the Council would follow the steps taken by the Mayor of London to ban the sale of graffiti materials. But Swindon Council officers said they could not do this, although they did concede such a ban could be helpful and should be reconsidered at a later date.

Cllr Shepherd concluded:

"I cannot think of anything more satisfying than seeing the perpetrators of crimes against our communities being made to clean up graffiti as part of a Reparation Order or a Community Punishment Order from the Courts. I welcome the police and local school headmasters enthusiasm to work in partnership in our community to tidy up the area.