The State Graffiti Taskforce has been recognised with an award at today’s Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards.
The awards are a joint initiative of the Australian, State and Territory governments and recognise good practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia.
Led by the Western Australia Police Force, the taskforce is a co-ordinated government response aimed at reducing graffiti vandalism.
An independent evaluation found the taskforce had achieved a significant reduction in graffiti offences across WA, improvements in clean-up rates and a reduction in the number of offenders.
Since 2011, police have charged 1,580 vandals with more than 4,300 offences.
The WA Police Graffiti Team have also incorporated a successful proactive approach which includes early intervention strategies to educate and raise awareness to reduce graffiti in the community.