Graffiti vandalism

Graffiti vandalism is a crime. It is the act of marking or defacing premises or other property without permission.

Graffiti vandalism significantly affects individuals and the community. The removal and prevention of graffiti vandalism is very costly to the community. Tens of millions of tax payer dollars are being spent annually on cleaning up graffiti and repairing the damage that it causes. Spending this public money on cleaning graffiti means that money is not being spent on things that can benefit the community.

Graffiti vandalism can also make people feel unsafe. A recent survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 21 per cent of the respondents in NSW perceived graffiti to be a social disorder problem in their local area.

Graffiti vandalism can be a dangerous activity. Graffiti is often applied in dangerous locations, such as along train tracks, train corridors and train tunnels. The Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator (ITSRR) has reported that the majority of recorded rail fatalities are trespassers on the rail network.  

Graffiti may also be affecting both the health of those who do it because they breathe in fumes from aerosol paint. It could also be affecting the environment because of the chemicals being used to remove it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image showing graffiti