Graffiti vandals change tack to glass scratching

Domino's Pizza owner Jayesh Madhav by the deeply scored glass window that will now need replacing. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Some Whangarei businesses are feeling the hard edge of graffiti attacks with tags and scribble being scratched on to their plate-glass shop windows. Domino's Pizza owner Jayesh Madhav is hoping the police can identify and catch the culprits caught on security camera scoring the windows of his Water St premises early on Friday morning.

The second attack of its kind in two weeks will force Mr Madhav to replace two large windows as the deep scoring is too extensive to fill. The first incident left smaller scratches and lines that could be buffed away by a glass specialist.

Mr Madhav said several shop fronts on Water, Bank and Vine Sts had been hit with scratched-glass graffiti. It could become an expensive problem.

"If you replace the damage and it keeps on happening then your insurance goes up," he said.

Ms Madhav has yet to hear from Whangarei Police regarding the camera footage but hopes the taggers will be identified.

He would like to see the business community pool resources to fight the tagging and other public vandalism that is increasing in the area. Mr Madhav said he would talk with council staff about the possibility of street cameras which he suggested local businesses might consider subsidising.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone if we can stop them," he said. "We have to protect our businesses."

Whangarei District Council community services Owen Thomas said the council and its partner in the City-Safe initiative, the Northland Chamber of Commerce, would be more than happy to meet with the business and retail community regarding security.

Mr Thomas said he was unaware of the latest bout of scratched glass vandalism.

The council had placed street cameras at several locations around the city centre, though not at the Water and Vine Sts precinct.