Police appoint Officer to Combat Graffiti

El Mirage police appoint officer to combat graffiti
Lily LeungThe Arizona RepublicMar. 6, 2008 02:46 PM
El Mirage Assistant Police Chief Bill Louis characterizes the act of tagging as "somewhat of a cat-and-mouse game," in which offenders do their damage at night and all police can do is react: photograph the graffiti, write a police report and have either the city or a homeowners association paint over it.The costly cycle then repeats itself.To address the problem, the El Mirage Police Department recently appointed a graffiti-intelligence officer who began his full-time duties in late February.
The move is just one part of a comprehensive strategy developed by the agency to curb the illegal activity, said Louis. The intel officer, Mike Borrello, is detective-certified and will focus strictly on graffiti violations.Since El Mirage regained control of its Police Department in October, the number of graffiti reports has totaled at least 16. The department has taken a zero-tolerance policy, however.That position, Louis explained, means that if a police officer has probable cause to arrest adults for a graffiti violation, then they will be booked into jail. Juveniles will be detained at the Juvenile Detention Facility. In addition, El Mirage police aim to have parents bear financial responsibility for up to $10,000 in graffiti damage committed by minors. Furthermore, the agency plans to submit charges using the current criminal statutes for enhanced prosecution in all arrests of documented street gang members for gang-related graffiti offenses. The Police Department's strategy also includes long-term solutions. The graffiti hotline will be expanded, allowing witnesses to collect rewards for reporting graffiti offenders, Louis said.Also, in the coming weeks, the agency will propose a revised city ordinance to the City Council to address the sale of spray paint and markers to juveniles."Due to our limited resources, we really didn't have the ability to investigate these crimes like we wanted to," Louis said. "We now have a full-time detective and other new resources on board to focus on graffiti offenders."The Police Department recently hired a crime analyst who can now help detectives gather intelligence, track offenders and develop criminal cases against repeat offenders. "Graffiti is not a game; it is a crime and a quality-of-life issue for our residents," Louis said.Increasing graffiti enforcement has been a point of focus for the El Mirage Police Department since suspected gang members tagged police headquarters in November. A marked patrol car was damaged the same night.Shortly after, the agency enlisted the help of G.I.T.E.M., the state Department of Public Safety's gang task force, to conduct a roundup. The operation with the Gang Intelligence and Team Enforcement Mission allowed police to make seven arrests.

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