WESTMINSTER : City Ordinance Gets Tough on Taggers

The Westminster City Council has passed an ordinance containing tough new measures aimed at discouraging graffiti vandalism, commonly called tagging.

The ordinance, which took effect last Tuesday, restricts the sale of spray paint to minors and toughens penalties on those convicted of graffiti vandalism.

Provisions include:

* Making illegal the possession by or sale to minors of graffiti equipment, such as spray cans, felt-tip markers, paint sticks and glass-etching tools.

* Requiring stores that sell graffiti implements to display them only in locked cabinets or behind counters.

* Asking courts to delay or suspend driving privileges for 13- to 21-year-olds convicted of applying graffiti.

* Asking courts to mandate community service for those convicted of applying graffiti.

* Providing rewards of $250 for information leading to an arrest and $750 for information leading to a conviction of graffiti vandals.

* Improving the city’s rights and access to remove graffiti.

* Making parents liable for the fines and costs of removing graffiti applied by their children.

This ordinance “isn’t going to turn around the graffiti problem,” said Lt. Andy Hall of the Westminster Police Department. “But the cumulative effect is that we’ll see fewer and fewer acts of graffiti. It’s indicative of the community attitude that people are fed up with the graffiti.”

Although legally the city does not have the authority to suspend drivers licenses, Mayor Chuck Smith said that the city does have the power to recommend that courts uphold the resolution.

“We intend to enforce it religiously,” Smith said of the ordinance, which was developed from a model law crafted by the League of Cities a year ago.