City of Merced, CA

• 11 to 26 years old

• Mostly high school age, 13 to 18 years old

• Majority is male

• All ethnic backgrounds

• All economic and social backgrounds

• Often very organized

• View tagging as an extreme sport rather than a crime

• Computer literate

• Most are discouraged from further activity after first SERIOUS police contact

• Those not discouraged move on to more serious crimes (carjacking, burglaries, arson, etc)

• Associates with skaters, party crews, ravers and sometimes gangs

• Low self-esteem or looking to belong

• Believe this is a freedom of expression (1st Amendment)

• Looking for notoriety or fame (egotistic)

• Extreme loyalty to other taggers

• Views police as the adversary in a game

TOOLS USED BY GRAFFITI VANDALS

TYPES OF GRAFFITI VANDALISM

Communicative
Hate crime
Gang
Tagger
Artistic

Studies have shown that if graffiti is removed within 12 hours after it is applied, there is only a 5% chance of re-occurrence.