Fairfax Digital, February 22, 2007
DRAMATIC JUMP IN TRAIN GRAFFITI
By CHALPAT SONTI
THE number of graffiti attacks on CityRail commuter trains has reached its highest level, with more than 1300 hits a day.
CityRail statistics show 477,052 graffiti hits were removed from trains last year, almost twice as many as the previous year and four times the number recorded in 2004.
Vandalism and graffiti cost NSW taxpayers $15million last year, CityRail estimated.
Meantime, a covert taskforce set up to catch vandals has made 194 arrests in the eight months it has been operating.
The South Coast is not immune. Vandals have been arrested for defacing everything from trains to buildings since May.
If student can pay HECS, why vandals shouldn’t pay the clean up cost plus penalty for inconvenience plus 50% profit which could be used to other noble causes.
If attacker under age?
Child goes to vandal children camp and parent pays for cleanup, if parent has to be eased up of property or any other valuable possession to pay for damage, so be it.
Should vandal have any property, forced bankruptcy could be a quick recovery path.
Vandals should also clean their handiwork themselves, paying for chemicals and hire of equipment.
Make it forced employment until enough -replacement employees- are caught.
Kind of self-sufficiency system > DO + UNDO = NO CHANGE