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The Bath Graffiti Partnership was originally founded by Larkhall beat manager PC Huw Morgan in January 2001 in response to a rising graffiti problem on his beat. He enlisted the support of partners including the British Transport Police, BANES Council, and the London Road Partnership to combat the problem.

 

PC Morgan explained: “It soon became clear that the extent of the problem meant we (the police) couldn’t fight it alone. Graffiti not only carries a huge financial burden to clean it up, but also has a massive impact on peoples’ quality of life and fear of crime. With the support of the other organisations, we’ve set up a joint strategy to target persistent offenders, educate young people, and swiftly clean graffiti up.”

 

Over the past 12 months, a 22-year-old has been sent to prison for two years for causing £22,000 worth of damage and will be subjected to a ten-year anti-social behaviour order when released. Another four people have been sentenced to between four months and six years in prison for causing damage ranging from £6,000 to £20,000.

 

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which will come into force at Easter, will give local authorities the power to give fixed penalty fines for acts of graffiti and fly posting, and order the removal within 28 days of graffiti on street furniture, including phone boxes. The act will also make it illegal to sell aerosol spray paint to anyone under 16.

 

The Council has cleaned over 500 sites but the problem is reducing. Many graffiti ‘hot spots’ that have been cleaned now stay clean and the close contact between Bath Police and the British Transport Police means that the small minority of offenders are being closely monitored.

 

“There is still graffiti in Bath – we never said it would be possible to eradicate it all. But if you look around the city now, there is far less than before. Police in Cardiff and Merseyside are now looking to set up similar initiatives,” PC Morgan added.

 

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here's that report spotty.....nice one...

 

£50 GRAFFITI FINES RAPPED

 

BY OLIVIER VERGNAULT

 

11:00 - 18 March 2004

 

A Key city councillor has dismissed new on-the-spot £50 fines for graffiti artists as "totally unenforceable". Bristol is one of 12 cities around the country that has been chosen to pilot the enforcement of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, which will give local authorities more powers to deal with graffiti and fly-posting problems.

 

But Councillor Ron Stone, chairman of the licensing committee and Labour councillor for St George West, dismissed the idea as impractical saying that other ways could be found to combat graffiti vandalism.

 

He said: "I have no idea how you can enforce this policy. For one, you don't know if people have the money on them or not, and then how do you catch these people in the act?"

 

Mr Stone said that offering proper facilities to youngsters to express their talent in a creative way would bring more good to the city than trying to enforce on-the-spot fines.

 

He said that "tag art" walls in areas such as Barton Hill had received positive feedback.

 

He said: "Providing it is done in a constructive manner and not some scroll on a lamppost or public building, but some meaningful artwork, then it can be quite positive.

 

"Meaningful graffiti can be quite attractive.

 

"The idea is to channel people's talents into something creative.

 

"That is more practical than on-the-spot fines."

 

The new powers given to local authorities have still be made law.

 

But when they are, the on-the-spot fines will be handed out by community support officers - civilian wardens who back up beat bobbies - while racially aggravated graffiti offences will be dealt with by the police.

 

The provisions so far in place also increase the maximum penalty for fly-posting from £1,000 to £2,500.

 

Bristol's Clean and Green Board will discuss next week how the city council will be able to use its new powers to tackle graffiti vandalism.

 

Under the new Act, anti-graffiti enforcers will also be able to serve graffiti removal notices on any person responsible for defacing a building.

 

The notice will require the defacement to be cleared within 28 days, with the offender liable to pay the removal costs.

 

Kate Hartas, a spokeswoman for the council, said: "Enforcement is a high priority for the council.

 

"The public has had enough of anti-social behaviour including graffiti. The meeting on Monday will cover this issue but we do accept that young people welcome creative projects such as murals.

 

"The Clean and Green Initiative also looks at education and other preventative measures."

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