Get Tagged, Go To Prison
The Sequim city council has passed a new ordinance cracking down on people whose property gets tagged with graffiti. No, NOT cracking down on the perp who does the tagging — just going after the victim who got tagged. Port Angeles already has a similar ordinance. (The story is in today’s PDN but not the online version.)
So now business owners in Sequim — as in Port Angeles — who find their property covered with graffiti will receive a stern warning letter from the city. The letter will inform you that you have X number of days get rid of the graffiti at your own expense; after that point the city will remove it and send you the bill. If you don’t pay the bill in a timely manner the city will put a lien on your property. That'll teach you to be a crime victim.
Hmmm…here's an idea that just came out of the blue: maybe we could try catching some of the vandals and thieves who have been plaguing Sequim and Port Angeles. Ya think??
What'll be next? Perhaps when somebody gets mugged, the mugger can go free and the mugging victim can be charged with vagrancy.
So now business owners in Sequim — as in Port Angeles — who find their property covered with graffiti will receive a stern warning letter from the city. The letter will inform you that you have X number of days get rid of the graffiti at your own expense; after that point the city will remove it and send you the bill. If you don’t pay the bill in a timely manner the city will put a lien on your property. That'll teach you to be a crime victim.
Hmmm…here's an idea that just came out of the blue: maybe we could try catching some of the vandals and thieves who have been plaguing Sequim and Port Angeles. Ya think??
What'll be next? Perhaps when somebody gets mugged, the mugger can go free and the mugging victim can be charged with vagrancy.
Labels: graffiti, Port Angeles, Sequim, Sequim city council
posted by Tom Harper at 4:19 PM
8 Comments:
This ordinance will probably cause an increase in vigilantism and other kinds of revenge crimes. Think about it, if somebody catches a person in the act of vandalizing their house or store, and they know that THEY will be treated like a criminal for having their property vandalized -- it won't be pretty. The vandal can expect a major tuneup.
Paul L. says" Hey, Tom...what's the P.A.ordinance #? I would like to check it out before tomorrow nite's City Council Meeting.Thanx.
Paul: I don't know the exact ordinance, but our building got tagged in April '06. Instantly we got a terse letter from the city warning us to hurry up and get that graffiti off the building. We were "in violation" and if the graffiti wasn't removed within 2 weeks the city would remove it and send us the bill for their work.
They never caught the taggers but they sure came down on us like stink on shit.
PS: Good luck at the City Council meeting.
The psychology of graffiti is taggers tend to tag locations that are already tagged; if its painted over, they tend to go elsewhere.
That said, being victimized first by some unsupervised young adults and then by the government is a bit hard to take.
That's a good point. I'm certainly in favor of removing graffiti for that exact reason. But like you said, being victimized first by the taggers and then by the city government -- that's a bit hard to take.
Crime is skyrocketing in Port Angeles! We have it within our power to put an end to this scourge by electing Peter Ripley to the City Council and Craig Miller as Judge. Electing Mr. Ripley and Mr. Miller will send a message to criminals and scofflaws in Port Angeles: Justice Rules in Port Angeles!
Perhaps we should follow Singapore's lead and give them a public flogging. "10 strokes of the cane...". I've been to Singapore and its amazing how little crime there is. Its also amazing how few civil liberties there are too.
I am not real sure that just tossing people in jail for extended periods of time make them any better citizens, at least not without some kind of methodology for turning them into better citizens when they do get out. And they do get out. If all they get to learn in jail is bank robbery for idiots and cooking meth 101, what do you expect to happen?
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