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State of Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security DIVISION OF STATE POLICE Superintendent Thomas F. Mac Leish |
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DSP News Release: Wednesday, February 11, 2009- As the Temperature Rises to do the Number of Graffiti Cases Location of Incident: Various Locations Throughout New Castle County Date and Time of Occurrence: Various Times Suspect(s):
Resume: It was good news for may Delaware residents. The temperature was going to be above normal and give many people longing for warmer days a taste of spring. There was also another group of excited people, criminal graffiti suspects that regularly damage both private and public property. Here is an example… Sometime over the past two days, graffiti suspect(s) made their way unlawfully onto the property of the DelDOT Tally Yard and went to work as they ‘tagged’ a newly constructed vehicle storage area. Not that it should matter, but the graffiti was placed strategically on the back side of the storage unit that faces I-95. This colorful, vulgar and unsightly display was visible for all motorists, both local travelers and those just passing through, driving northbound and southbound on the interstate. According to www.graffitihurts.org/learn_more/how_does_graffiti_hurt.cfm, "Graffiti contributes to lost revenue associated with reduced ridership on transit systems, reduced retail sales and declines in property value. In addition, graffiti generates the perception of blight and heightens fear of gang activity" reports the U.S. Department of Justice. The appearance of graffiti is often perceived by residents and passers-by as a sign that a downward spiral has begun, even though this may not be true. What about the costs? According to www.policeone.com, the city of Orlando Florida spent $55,000 in cleaning up graffiti last year. On a web site listed as: nograffiti.com (http://nograffiti.com/grafnews/6_04/cost_of_graffiti.htm), in the city of Las Vegas, and its surrounding areas, officials delved out over $1,100,000 in graffiti clean up in 2008. Graffiti911 (www.graffiti911.com), is a group that boasts they “fight against the blight.” They list on their website that that costs of graffiti affects all Americans and this cost has risen steadily over the years. According to their organization: In 1990, the National Graffiti Information Network survey estimated annual graffiti costs in the U.S. at $8 Billion. By the late 1990's, it was $15 Billion per year. At the June 2008 ‘NoGraf’ Network Conference of experts from the U.S. and around the world, the annual costs of graffiti was now estimated to be $25 Billion in the US. These types of crimes, graffiti, happen with frequency; however, the suspects are furtive and carry out their mischief in darkness and with the help at times of lookouts. Police departments can not go about solving this issue alone. We need the eyes of every citizen traveling through the first state to be aware of this problem and take the initiative to call 911 to have the police respond should they see a suspicious person. The Delaware State Police operates with a zero tolerance approach when it comes to graffiti. Simply put, if you are caught, you are going to be held accountable. This approach held true for 17-year-old Cody Peet, of Wilmington. Yesterday, Mr. Peet turned himself in to authorities to Troop 6 to be processed on several graffiti related charges. The following cases were attributed to Cody Peet
Peet was formally charged with the following: one count of misdemeanor Graffiti, six counts of felony level Graffiti and four counts of Criminal Trespass 2nd Degree (misdemeanor). He was released into his parents’ custody on an $11,000.00 unsecured bond. The purpose of this news release has several facets. It is important to keep this problem in the public eye so that we all, citizens and law enforcement officers alike, can work together to combat this problem. Also, graffiti suspects need to be aware that this crime is taken seriously and suspects will be hel
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| State of Delaware Home Page Last Modified: February 16, 2009. |