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An 0800 number has been set up by the Manukau City Council for people to dob in taggers but a world renowned graphic artist has slammed it as 'just another reactionary measure.'
Manukau City councillor Dick Quax said people can now call a number and leave personal information about taggers, including addresses and any description of a vehicle used.
When asked if the 0800 number could avoid cases like that of Bruce Emery, who chased and stabbed Pihema Cameron after catching him tagging his property, Mr Quax said he hoped people would not take the law into their own hands.
"It was a tragedy what happened to the young kid but also it was a tragedy for the Emery family as well, it was a tragedy for everyone concerned," he said.
Jonny "Pest5" Wartmann is a graphic artist and a member of the TMD crew who won a world graffiti art competition in Germany.
Mr Wartmann said there is a difference between graffiti art and tagging in that taggers are only after fame and recognition, while graffiti artists work on murals that can use up to 10 cans of spray paint.
He said the approach by Manukau City Council is typical of politicians who use graffiti as a chance to take part in political grandstanding.
"If you just give these negative messages to the kids: You can't do this, you can't do that, this is bad, you're going to get punished, we're going to get people to dob you in. It's all negative," Mr Wartmann said.
He said walls that have been set aside for graffiti art in other parts of the world have worked on lowering graffiti, in the same way that building skateboard parks have cut down on damage to park benches.
"I find it surprising that in these tough times, Manukau City is willing to invest in this expensive, reactive measure with absolutely no proof or research that it would work," Mr Wartmann said.
Mr Quax said the council's 0800 number will be monitored by private investigators who will collate evidence and pass it on to police.
"They already have a huge amount of knowledge on who is doing tagging in Manukau City, who is doing tagging in Auckland, what their tags are, who their crews are and where they live," Mr Quax said.
He said eight people were arrested last month as a result of private investigative work.
Mr Quax said informants will be rewarded with money or cell phone credit if their information proves useful but he would not say by how much.
He said the council spends $1 million a year on its contract with a trust who investigates graffiti and paints over it.
He said the cost of the number, 0800 STOP TAGS (0800 7867 8247), will be paid for through the council's existing budget.
