The bad news, says RCMP Sergeant Darrell Robertson, is that Oceanside has seen an uptick in graffiti incidents lately.
The good news is that police don’t believe the tagging to be gang-related.
“Spring appears to be a time for graffiti artists to make their mark. This spring Oceanside area has been the victim of numerous incidents of tagging, which is commonly used by gang members to mark territory or the moniker of the person responsible.”
However, he said this doesn’t appear to be the case in Oceanside.
“The public are reminded that there is no indication that recent tagging is the result of gang activity. It’s random vandalism.”
Damage of this nature is an offence under Section 430 of the Criminal Code and can lead to jail for those responsible up to a maximum of 10 years.
Robertson stressed the need for people who have been tagged to report it immediately.
“If you have been victimized by graffiti vandalism there is a need to record it, you can take your own photos and the police will take photos of the vandalized area and record when it occurred,” he said. “If someone witnesses graffiti in progress they should immediately contact the police.”
Robertson noted most graffiti incidents take place during the early morning hours. He urged anyone with information about who is responsible for a tagging attack to call the RCMP at 250-248-6111.
