Orange County is one of the very few counties in the world where you can go spraying at and go to jail for over a year if caught doing it illegally. And it’s getting worse…much worse.
The city is looking to increase penalties for graffiti offenders to stop tagging before it starts.
The city’s graffiti removal efforts have been increasingly aggressive and now the city is considering implementing a civil citation process as a harsher punishment for taggers.
As of now, offenders are only fined if the case makes it to court and the judge finds the suspect guilty. A civil citation gives the police the power to fine the criminals.
The crime currently warrants a misdemeanor, according to the city code, and taggers are expected to pay for property damages. However if the damage is more than $400, taggers could be charged with a felony, according to Police Chief Dennis Kies.
Mayor Jim Gomez has also been working with city staff and the Police Department to outline how offenders would be punished.
Gomez is looking to hold parents accountable for their children’s actions and incorporate strict fines.
On a first offense, taggers would be fined $250, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for the third offense. If the fines are not paid, the tagger could face up to 60 days in jail.
Read More: Graffiti could bring stiffer penalties
