The Mayor's Column
We are fed up and furious!
Graffiti is not one of the world’s biggest problems, but when our suburb is attacked by forty people hell bent on a night of destruction, we feel assaulted.
On the night of Friday March 24th a group of about forty vandals “bombed” council chambers, the community bus, Alan Border Oval and a number of businesses in the Spit Junction area. Not only did they spray the place with rude words and tags, they etched them into shop windows, ripped out pot plants and left the place despoiled.
People coming to vote the next day were affronted and because of the business of election day we could not carry out council policy, which is to clean up graffiti on council property within 24 hours.
It has already cost council about ten thousand dollars to clean up this lot on our property alone, ensuring that the seventy thousand we spend annually will be more this year. That considerable amount of money could well be directed to more pressing needs in our community. There are also untold costs, such as the loss of the community bus while it is being cleaned, the bus which transports disabled and frail and elderly residents to shopping, medical appointments and outings. What a miserable thing to do!
The businesses pay their own huge bills to remove graffiti. Mosman has a prestigious shopping area, rich in heritage and ambience, The business proprietors are angry that their premises are sprayed and their windows gouged once again.
Council invested in a number of cameras in the shopping areas. There are hours of footage of this latest attack.
We are very grateful to the police, who are taking this incident very seriously. The Superintendent of Harbourside Police set up a special task force to deal with it. Offenders recognised from camera footage will be prosecuted as far as the law allows. It is very frustrating that state legislation does not make minors more accountable for their actions. I have written to the Premier demanding that they do. Join my protest and write to him.
Council is in the process of reviewing our graffiti policy to include cleaning up graffiti on private property.
Mosman Council offers a reward of $500 to any person who provides information about graffiti vandals leading to a positive identification and court action. Council will provide materials and insurance cover to anyone with a conscience who wants to remove their graffiti. Tel: 9978 4000 www.mosman.nsw.gov.au
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
