Setting children straight

Saturday, April 11, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

Taggers, those who spray paint images wherever they please, say their work gives them a sense of identity and pride. Yet it is a crime, one that results in the defacement of telephone poles, bridges, road signs, block walls and other private and public property.

Many taggers believe their work to be harmless public art, although residents and business people in areas where it appears view it correctly as vandalism. Also, taggers who confine their work to a specific urban area can often become violent or become victims of violence if the marks of other taggers outside that area start appearing next to or over theirs.

Additionally, removal of spray-painted “public art” costs taxpayers in Las Vegas alone about $30 million a year. That’s not harmless, especially during a recession.

There is a big gap in what taggers naively believe about their activities and what constitutes reality. That is why a team consisting of Las Vegas city officials and Metro Police officers is visiting nine elementary and middle schools this month.

The team hopes to acquaint the youths with the truth about tagging, including that it is a crime that carries penalties, including fines and long hours of community service. At the same time, team members hope to inspire the students to contribute to their neighborhoods rather than defacing them.

We hope the team gets through to the students, who at that age are impressionable and might see the activities of older taggers as fun and daring. We would also like to see the team extend its visits beyond April, which is Graffiti Awareness Month. It could make occasional visits not only to schools, but also to scout meetings, the Boys & Girls Club and other organizations that work with children.

Of course, long before hearing it from a city team, children should hear the anti-tagging/graffiti message from their parents.