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Police catch up to taggers
By Lynn Proctor Windle, managing editor
Rowlett police have caught up with three graffiti artists who have been leaving their mark on one neighborhood.
Police have arrested and charged two 13 year olds boys who they say “tagged” the front entrance of the Mariner Park subdivision, located in the 6600 block of Liberty Grove Road.
Both teens, and along with a 14-year-old who police plan to arrest later this week, live in the neighborhood, said Lt. David W. Nabors of Rowlett police’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Nabors said that these teens are taggers and are not gang members.
In recent months, Rowlett has become a popular target for taggers, which are generally 12-20 year olds.
Nabors said taggers are motivated by fame, rebellion, self-expression, and power. Taggers commonly brag about their exploits and show off their work via social networks like MySpace and Facebook.
The city began to notice an increase in graffiti beginning in 2006 when 59 incidents were reported. So far this year, there have been about two dozen cases. The Highpoint Industrial Park is a popular spot for taggers.
City leaders say they have become concerned about the tagging issue because it lowers property values and hurts economic development.
While Nabors won’t say exactly how they caught the teens, he did say that the arrests were the result of “good detective work” rather than the city’s new graffiti cameras, which went into service last month.
Nabors noted the boys parents cooperated in the investigation and likely won’t face new penalties that the Rowlett City Council recently passed as part of a revision to the city’s graffiti ordinance.
“That is used more of a leverage tool for parents who don’t take responsibility for their kids actions,” he said. “In this case the parents were extremely cooperative with our investigation and wanted their kids punished as the law allows. There is no reason to cite the parents when they are making their kids be responsible for their actions and take their punishment.”
As part of the city’s response to vandalism, the Rowlett Police Department has launched a graffiti information page on its website at http://www.rowlett.com/Rowlett/Departments/Police/Graffiti_Landing.htm
Citizens can report graffiti problems via email at taggers@rowlett.com. Or they can call police dispatch at 972-412-6200 option #1to report crimes in progress.
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