Tagging victims dish out street justice

Two Bay of Plenty youngsters were shocked when 15 victims of an early morning tagging spree in Papamoa turned up at their home.

The 13-year-old - whom locals describe as a "walking crime spree" - and a 19-year-old spent the rest of the day cleaning and painting out the damage to 15 fences and three cars.

Friends of the pair also pitched in with the cleanup.

The 13-year-old cannot be charged because of his age but the 19-year-old has been charged with 15 wilful damage offences, plus a burglary charge after he allegedly broke into a house to steal paint used in the tagging spree. He will appear in the Tauranga District Court on Monday.

When the Bay of Plenty Times arrived at the holiday home of Garry and Elaine Rayner, Papamoa resident Mike Jefferies, who had rallied the rest of the victims to confront the taggers, was supervising the cleanup job.

The Hamilton couple's fence was tagged extensively.

"I was planning a game of golf today but we have to show these youngsters that we do mean business and they just can't get away with it," Mr Jefferies said.

His fence and three friends' cars parked at his house were tagged.

"We need to name and shame these buggers, regardless of their age."

Mr Jefferies said one of the other victims had photographed the youngsters and planned to circulate a warning flyer round the neighbourhood.

"Next time there is any trouble, we will know who to visit."

Mr Rayner said he and his wife were woken just after 4am on Tuesday by the noise of a disturbance outside their home.

They saw two young people tagging a car in the parking area across the road. The pair then moved further down the street to do the same.

Mr Rayner phoned 111, and while he waited for police to arrive he grabbed a pair of binoculars to track the duo. He was able to direct the three patrol cars and dog-handler to the taggers hiding in nearby long grass.

By that stage, Mr Rayner also discovered his holiday home had been extensively damaged - the sixth time it had been defaced since they built it 10 years ago.

"We work six days a week and come down here for a holiday break, not to be confronted by this sort of rubbish. We were gutted when we realised how extensive the damage was.

"Each time this sort of thing happens we have spent half a day cleaning it up, which not only costs in time but a few hundred dollars in paint strippers and paint," said Mr Rayner.

"This time we have approached our insurance company, which is going to come to the party, but that's not the point.

"These youngsters did apologise and are cleaning up their damage but they still need a short, sharp shock to realise what grief they cause other people."

Mr Rayner suggested that shock could include making young taggers clean up other graffiti round the city.

"Get them involved in some sort of community work programme and make them work off their crimes. They'll soon get sick of it."

Papamoa Constable Mark Farrell applauded the residents' actions. He said the 13-year-old was well-known to police but was still too young to be charged.

"That will change when he turns 14 in a couple of months."

The youngster is also well-known to 54-year-old grandmother Jane Pou, who confronted him in November after her house was burgled.

The teen admitted that crime and Mrs Pou was able to reclaim her stolen goods but she was not satisfied and put the youngster to work mowing lawns and doing chores.

Mrs Pou, whose property was not tagged this week, gave the youngster and his alleged co-offender a piece of her mind as they cleaned the graffiti from Mr Rayner's fence. She said this was the best form of "street justice".

"Just like residents are doing today, we have to stand up to these kids and show them we won't tolerate this sort of behaviour."

But tagging victim Jayden Taylor said he felt sorry for the youngsters as he watched them clean up their mess in the hot sun.

"What back-up or follow-up action will there be to get them involved in positive things to help them change their ways?"

Mr Taylor, a member of the Vineyard Church, said young people tagged and burgled houses because they were bored.

"Myself and some other church-members are trying to set up a youth programme to help these kids, who obviously have no positive role models in their lives.

When asked for his comments, the 19-year-old said: "I'm not going to do it again."

The 13-year-old declined to comment.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES