Graffiti rampage

THREE Cranbourne men have been charged with criminal damage after they went on a graffiti rampage, which police described as “absolutely disgusting”.
Cranbourne Police Senior Constable Jo Watson said the offenders, one aged 19 and the others 20, spray painted obscene language and profane pictures in the vicinity of South Gippsland Highway, Cranbourne Drive, Clairmont Avenue, Averne Street and Camms Road in Cranbourne on 22 January.
“It was horrendous,” he said.
The damage occurred on numerous fences, letterboxes, vehicles, shop fronts, footpaths and telephone boxes.
Resident Joanne Blanch had her gates vandalised with graffiti and her husband’s truck was also damaged.
“We’ve never seen anything like that in the 13 years we’ve been here,” she said.
“It was disgusting.”
Anti-graffiti advocate Steve Beardon said the number of graffiti incidents spiked during the holiday period.
Mr Beardon said he had noticed an increase in gang graffiti, known as postcode graffiti, where offenders marked walls or fences with their tags and postcode. This caused territorial clashes between rival gangs, Mr Beardon said.
“We need to keep reporting graffiti,” he said.
“It is cleaned by council at no direct cost to the victim, and the tags are photographed and mapped so that surveillance can be utilised by authorities to apprehend the culprits,” Mr Beardon said.
Another spate of graffiti took place during the same night in the Camms Road and Virginia Street area, but Sen Const Watson said police believed the incidents to be unrelated. Police encourage anyone who witnessed the latter graffiti damage to contact police, and any victims who had not yet reported damage to property to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact Sen Const Watson at Cranbourne Police Station on 5991 0600.
To report graffiti call the council’s graffiti hotline on 1800 826 325.