The Lincoln City Police Department is aggressively working to combat graffiti within our City. Graffiti contributes to reduced retail sales, a great decline in property values, generates fear and insecurity in residents and visitors, and creates a public image as if “nobody cares” about the community. A business littered with graffiti is less likely to be patronized. Citizens feel less safe and secure entering a storefront where graffiti is present.

For these reasons, the Lincoln City Police Department takes graffiti vandalism very seriously. We have developed a three-pronged approach towards graffiti:

• Enhanced Enforcement Operations to arrest responsible parties.
• Community Education and Outreach.
• Quick Eradication/ Removal of graffiti.

Both adults and youths that often refer to themselves as “taggers” do this type of vandalism. They believe they gain fame and status from other “taggers” by painting their "tags" in as many places as possible.

Some of the Consequences of “Tagging”

In addition to criminal prosecution for various degrees of Criminal Mischief, juveniles caught “tagging” may see penalties ranging from formal detention in the Lincoln County Juvenile Detention Center, to probation, and court ordered monetary victim restitution. Offenders also are subject to additional penalties under ORS 164.383 Unlawfully Applying Graffiti, where a person, having no right to do so, nor reasonable ground to believe that the person has such right, intentionally damages property of another by applying graffiti to the property may be subject of substantial fines, and up to 100 hours of community service removing graffiti. Hand-in-hand with these laws a person may also be fined and sentenced up to 50 hours of community service just for possessing a graffiti implement (paint, ink, chalk, etc) with the intent of using them to apply graffiti under ORS 164.386 Unlawfully Possessing Graffiti Implement

Additionally parents of juveniles convicted of these offenses may also have to bear other costs such as:

• Court and Attorney Fees
• Restitution paid to victims
• Loss of Wages due to the scheduling of court hearings and other related proceedings.

For offenders over the age of 18, in addition to the fines, costs, and community service listed above may also face Jail or State Prison time of up to one year.