Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 5, 1995 TAG: 9504050072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FAIRFAX LENGTH: Medium
In July, police noticed a surge in graffiti complaints and focused attention on the crime. They trained officers in analyzing graffiti and created a separate crime category to report it. A computer analyst broke down the region's hot spots, and undercover officers staked out vulnerable blank walls.
Then, they made arrests, closing 17 cases since July.
Since July 4, police have arrested 74 people - from a 13-year-old boy to a 27-year-old woman - on charges of drawing graffiti.
Last month, they cracked their oldest case, arresting three people, all adults now, in an incident four years ago that caused $400,000 in damage at an elementary school.
``We hoped for it, but I never thought the day would come when they'd catch those guys,'' said Ellen S. Schoetzau, who was principal at the school when its classrooms, library and gymnasium were defaced. ``Especially four years after it happened. I was stunned.''
Most graffiti tagging is considered destruction of property, a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail. If the damage exceeds $200, however, suspects may be charged with a felony, and jail time increases to a maximum of five years, Fairfax Officer Gary Brown said.
After detectives recently arrested six teen-agers suspected of spray painting epithets on three synagogues in November and January, David C. Friedman, executive director of the District of Columbia office of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, called it one of the few arrests his organization had ever seen for anti-Semitic graffiti.
Explanations for Fairfax's vandal-nabbing proficiency vary. The favorite of residents, echoed by Supervisor Ernest J. Berger, is that ``we have the finest police force in the country, bar none.''
Others point out that the Fairfax police enjoy luxuries other departments don't, specifically time and money. ``I wish we could spend the day chasing suspects armed with gold glitter paint,'' a Washington, D.C., police detective said. ``Ours tend to carry 9mm pistols.''
Fairfax police spokesman Warren Carmichael said that with relatively fewer serious crimes than in other area jurisdictions, the department ``can also concentrate on matters that may seem small to others but mean a lot to the people who live here.''
Nationwide, graffiti increasingly is being regarded as a harbinger of more serious problems, including gang activity and hate crimes. Friedman said the Anti-Defamation League has received ``scores and scores'' of reports of swastikas and SS emblems sprayed on downtown Washington buildings since January, and the group is preparing a report for Mayor Marion Barry and Police Chief Fred Thomas.
Other cities are attacking graffiti by focusing on paint and painter. Last month, a U.S. Supreme Court justice allowed Chicago to enforce a ban on spray-paint sales to curb graffiti vandalism.
In California, state lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow judges to sentence minors to paddling for graffiti crimes.
``Nobody is saying that graffiti is the worst problem facing society,'' said Fairfax police Lt. Bob Callahan. ``But it's a quality-of-life issue. If you say graffiti is all right, where do you stop? You're opening the door for more serious problems.''
In the elementary school incident, police questioned a 19-year-old in a breaking-and-entering case, and his fingerprints matched those found in the school. On March 8, he implicated himself and two others, police said, and all three were charged with burglary and destruction of property.
And because most suspects are young, confessions come more easily.
``Your typical tagger is a kid, not a career criminal,'' said Fairfax police Detective Mark Compher. ``Secretly, they're proud of their work. I like to come in and say, `Hey, that was nice work.' Usually they say, `Yeah, I'm good.' Case closed.''
by CNB