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Police say a ban on the sale of spray paint to people under-18 is a good move in the battle against graffiti.
In new legislation to be introduced to Parliament, shop owners will be required to keep spray paint under lock and key. If they are caught selling it to anyone under 18 they could be fined up to $1,500.
Taggers will also face tougher penalties, with fines of up to $2,000 and community sentences where they could be forced to paint out graffiti.
In addition, $6 million is being allocated to community groups and councils over the next three years for anti-tagging initiatives.
Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope says there is a need to have some form of sanction that is enforceable. He says tagging is a community-wide problem and the new legislation recognises that.
Mr Pope says there is a need to have some form of sanction that is enforceable and means something both to the people responsible for selling spray paint and the community.
The Retailers Association says retail chain stores are well placed to deal with the proposed new law. He says the major issue is the cost of cabinets for locking away the paint products.
Hutt City mayor David Ogden likes the legislation, saying it costs his council $130,000 a year to remove graffiti, and the community is sick and tired of taggers and their mess. He says tagging is not a victimless crime, and if left unattended it can lead to further vandalism and violence.
But Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey says the proposed law is not tough enough. He says a kid with a spray can can probably do hundreds of thousands of damage, so a $2,000 fine is miniscule.
Green MP Nandor Tanczos believes the Government is demonising young people and he doubts restricting the sale of spray paint will have any effect. He thinks there are more important crime issues the Government should be targeting.
Mr Tanczos doubts all taggers are under the age of 18, which he says raises questions about how effective the ban will be.
- NEWSTALK ZB
