Graffiti is a blight on our beautiful city.
Those who spend their spare time destroying others' properties by marring them with obscene scrawlings have no clue of the damage they cause.
But this is not a victimless crime. Property owners face the mess, the clean-up, the cost - and for some the violation of having vandals on their land.
So it is pleasing to note a programme designed to combat this crime is a success.
The city's graffiti prevention officer Jane Denton told the Bay of Plenty Times yesterday that nearly 9500 tags were removed last year - 3400 fewer than the previous year.