An RCMP News Release: Some time during the late night of September 2nd or the early morning hours of September 3 an unknown person or persons spray painted graffiti onto a shed at Farewell Park with black paint. What’s with this? Why vandalize buildings in a park used by moms and very young children? What’s next used condoms and syringes? David F. Rooney photoDavid F. Rooney
An RCMP News Release: Some time during the late night of September 2nd or the early morning hours of September 3 an unknown person or persons spray painted graffiti onto a shed at Farewell Park with black paint.
A statement from the local detachment said that each year tens of thousands of dollars damage is done to businesses and other property by vandals who feel the need to express themselves in this kind of destructive manner.
If anyone has any information as to the person responsible for this, or any other vandalism, is asked to contact the local detachment at 250-837-5255 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Okay. It’s easy to think this is much ado about nothing. But walk around downtown with your eyes wide open and you’ll swiftly change your tune.
I cruised our downtown alleys last Friday with my camera and quickly ended up with 64 individual photos of the weird and often nonsensical spray-painted scrawls on walls, dumpsters and even telephone poles in the city core.
Personally, I don’t think that’s very fair. Personally, I think the sniggering little jerks who get a charge out of damaging other people’s property should be forced to pay for the cleanup. Or perhaps their parents should be given the bill.
But how do you find these twerps?
Here’s a suggestion: A coalition of building owners should put up some reward money and offer it to those people who can drop a dime on the vandals.
Here’s a selection of some of the graffiti downtown:
Graffiti in the alley behind the Howson Building. David F. Rooney photoHere’s a little something for Telus to clean up. David F. Rooney photoThe parking stalls at the Business Information Centre is badly defaced. David F. Rooney photoThe 7-11 tried to clean up this moronic looking piece of graffiti sprayed on its brick exterior but it just ended up abrading the brick surface. David F. Rooney photoMost of the graffiti is on private property. But not all of it. Here’s a meaningless scrawl on the City’s utility structure beside Grizzly Plaza. David F. RooneyIt wouldn’t be so bad if these guys could actually create some real art. But they can’t. David F. Rooney photoThe alley behind The Roxy is a heavily graffiti covered. David F. RooneyOne good thing that can be said about our local graffiti fiends is that no one has yet defaces any piece of public art — places of natural beauty like Moses Creek, yes. But art? No. At least not yet, although a couple of these clowns seem to be edging towards it. David F. Rooney photo
Do the anti-graffiti provisions in the City’s Unsightly Premises Bylaw apply to dumpsters? Will RER have to repaint or clean all of their dumpsters? David F. Rooney photoHow about electrical boxes, like this one behind the former RMR Presentation Centre? David F. Rooney photoOr this one behind the CIBC? David F. Rooney photoMore bad art. David F. Rooney photoOne ambitious kid with a spray can had to climb on one of those barrels to reach the duct on the left. David F. Rooney photoNot even the United Church is immune to spray-can idiots. David F. Rooney photo