Going After Graffiti Artists

Graffiti vandals strike again in downtown Tulsa. Tagging has become more and more of a problem. Spray paint vandals are hitting more targets, while cleanup id getting more costly for businesses. The

Monday, October 15th 2007, 9:54 pm

By: News On 6

Graffiti vandals strike again in downtown Tulsa. Tagging has become more and more of a problem. Spray paint vandals are hitting more targets, while cleanup id getting more costly for businesses. The News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports one of the latest targets by taggers hit close to home. And, it was all caught on tape. With a $3 can of spray paint, vandals can cause hundreds of dollars worth of damage. That's what they've been doing at several downtown Tulsa locations.

"This is downgrading the neighborhood. This is taking away from the value down here. People come down and don't want to see graffiti. They want to see downtown Tulsa,â€ said Tulsa Police Officer Tim Oâ€™Keefe.

Recently, the News On 6 became a target. In a matter of seconds, three vandals spray painted two sides of the television station.

"There's no rhyme or reason that we know about with buildings they are picking, or why they're picking a particular one,â€ said police officer Tim Oâ€™Keefe.

But these vandals were caught on tape.

The News On 6 will provide Tulsa police with the surveillance video.

Officers say vandalism is becoming more common. And, it isn't just limited to downtown.

Vandals also recently tagged buildings at the Tulsa United Soccer Club, just off highway 169.

It's frustrating and often expensive.

"They've got to come back, repaint the building, get the contractors out here, get the estimates in, get the insurance guys involved, this thing can hundreds or thousands of dollars sometimes depending on how much they want to do,â€ said Tulsa Police Officer Tim Oâ€™Keefe.

Police in Tulsa want citizens to take a close look at the three vandals and to also watch out for anything suspicious in the future.

Most spray paint vandalism cases are considered misdemeanors, resulting in a $50 to $500 fine. But, if the damage is more than $2,500, vandals can be charged with a felony.

Watch the video: Going After Graffiti Artists

WEB EXTRA: Surveillance Video Catches Taggers In The Act