WSDOT: Brazen vandals targeting local highways
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SEATTLE -- More and more graffiti is showing up on I-5, and police say the vandals are getting more brazen in their attempts to tag hard-to-reach places.
Police say taggers and graffiti artists have always migrated to easy targets, but some are now taking the opposite approach and laying down graffiti in places difficult to clean up, such as the I-5 express lanes.
"As far as a the amount of graffiti, it's gotten worse. It has increased," said Tim Ditch with the state Department of Transportation.
Ditch should know, because he and his crew are responsible for cleaning up graffiti on state highway .
"This time of year its tougher for us to keep up with it because of weather," he said.
The cat-and-mouse act between road crews, cops and vandals is nothing new, but it's becoming increasingly dangerous for everyone involved.
Vandals are now finding places too difficult and and risky for state crews to reach and clean up in a timely fashion. Workers try to have graffiti painted over 48 hours after it's discovered, but that's becoming more difficult.
"We have to close lanes. We have to make sure our people are as safe as possible. We don't take the same risks as those people do," said Bart Treece with the Department of Transportation.
As a detective working full time on graffiti crimes, Chris Young of the Seattle Police Department is a rarity in Washington. Few people know more about what makes the vandals tick than Young.
"They do it for two main reasons," he said. "The first is attention-seeking behavior, and the second is thrill-seeking behavior."
Young said said the I-5 express lanes are being targeted because they're closed from 11 p.m. To 5 a.m.. The state closes them at night to cut back on the echo chamber the traffic creates in the Eastlake neighborhood.
"Graffiti is a crime where they essentially leave a signed confession at the crime scene," Young said.
A confession that's posted for all to see on websites like Flicker, which makes it easier for Young to find the culprits. But the chance of being arrested doesn't stop thrill-seeking novices from tagging highways.
"A lot of times they are hanging from dangerous places. It's almost like an extreme sport, like bungee jumping to them," Young said.
Some vandals do use ropes to hold them while they tag hard-to-reach places along the highway.
Anyone who witnesses vandalism is encouraged to call 911.
Police say taggers and graffiti artists have always migrated to easy targets, but some are now taking the opposite approach and laying down graffiti in places difficult to clean up, such as the I-5 express lanes.
"As far as a the amount of graffiti, it's gotten worse. It has increased," said Tim Ditch with the state Department of Transportation.
Ditch should know, because he and his crew are responsible for cleaning up graffiti on state highway .
"This time of year its tougher for us to keep up with it because of weather," he said.
The cat-and-mouse act between road crews, cops and vandals is nothing new, but it's becoming increasingly dangerous for everyone involved.
Vandals are now finding places too difficult and and risky for state crews to reach and clean up in a timely fashion. Workers try to have graffiti painted over 48 hours after it's discovered, but that's becoming more difficult.
"We have to close lanes. We have to make sure our people are as safe as possible. We don't take the same risks as those people do," said Bart Treece with the Department of Transportation.
As a detective working full time on graffiti crimes, Chris Young of the Seattle Police Department is a rarity in Washington. Few people know more about what makes the vandals tick than Young.
"They do it for two main reasons," he said. "The first is attention-seeking behavior, and the second is thrill-seeking behavior."
Young said said the I-5 express lanes are being targeted because they're closed from 11 p.m. To 5 a.m.. The state closes them at night to cut back on the echo chamber the traffic creates in the Eastlake neighborhood.
"Graffiti is a crime where they essentially leave a signed confession at the crime scene," Young said.
A confession that's posted for all to see on websites like Flicker, which makes it easier for Young to find the culprits. But the chance of being arrested doesn't stop thrill-seeking novices from tagging highways.
"A lot of times they are hanging from dangerous places. It's almost like an extreme sport, like bungee jumping to them," Young said.
Some vandals do use ropes to hold them while they tag hard-to-reach places along the highway.
Anyone who witnesses vandalism is encouraged to call 911.
I think we can be part of solving this problem, if you see someone tagging call 911.
LOL I work downtown Seattle Gravyards,And have caught some Tagers and called SPD only to have them let the kids go and all they did was take there cans of paint they stole from Lowes
 @Mad Dude If we all call and continue to call, over and over the cops will get tired of making out reports.
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So it is likely someone is driving by when vandals are doing a lot of this. They need to call 911 and report it because all of us are paying for dealing with it. It is not harmless.Â
Urban art.....the beauty of diversity.................................................
 @quinoline2 Done by criminals
 @quinoline2 Maybe on canvas, but not on someone's property
Can I just start shooting them with a pellet gun?
@Howard Beale   Paint Balls !!
 @hwystar71  @Howard IRONY!
Just need to start punishing the clowns! What do you you get if you are caught tagging? Nothing! And I agree with other posters calling the vandalism for art is just plain loco!
Commission them to paint murals instead of just tagging their names. We might even have some interesting art to look at. There's a lot of ugly grey all over. Cement is ugly. It's begging for some art. So be creative and make it work for everyone.
Hm, the graffiti problem is not abetting? Â There would be a point at which such exhibitionism could be deterred. Periodically adjust the penalties including monetary penalties and loss of freedom. Trust me such an intention would deter such dalliances. The question becomes whether the law makers and have the determination to discourage such shenanigans. Â What say you politicians?
 @George Yes, and while they are hanging out in jail, they get to go out and clean up their mess.
@stamperzann @George now that is a hell of an idea. I like that
"The first is attention-seeking behavior, and the second is thrill-seeking behavior." To translate it in a way we all understand, these people are bored, stupid, pathetic dumbasses who got nothing better to do because they do not have a life! What we should do is just put their pictures up on these objects to let people know what complete stupidity looks like.
Down here in Olympia it seams the city encourages graffiti. The skate park gets tagged and the city doesn't remove it. That encourages more tagging. I have been watching the city going around marking sidewalks and lawns and streets where the underground utilities are located. No construction or improvements are done there, just markings. I feel this teaches vandals to do wrong.
 @dmw2913 Seriously? Markings on the ground for construction and utility work encourages vandalism?
@Count_Screamalot Yes, it teaches the" want to be" taggers that we condone tagging. Monkey see, monkey do.
@Jab @Count_Screamalot I walk four miles every day. I have been doing this for five years. I see when the sidewalks get painted and I see when no construction is getting done. Teach the children.
 @dmw2913  @Count_ScreamalotÂ
As someone who marks underground utilities for a living I find your ignorance appalling. At no point does the city or any other underground facility owner paint an area that does not need to be painted. Just because you dont see any construction in the area does not mean that their was at one point plans to excavate. These utilities are marked for the safety of the construction workers and those living around them.
I drive Snohomish to South Seattle everyday and yes it's getting worse, or is it? The problem I see is that the graffiti is not being "cleaned up" as often as it used to and when it's not cleaned up, it keeps expanding. I remember a particular section of the express lanes that was cleaned up frequently and now the same graffiti has been there for almost 2 months, and like I said, when it's not cleaned up, it continues down further and further. Hold people accountable for their actions.
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 @Furd No, they're "undocumented  artists."
 @Getov Mylon  @Furd Criminals
The WA DOC should start a inmate work program and make them clean up this ugly festering blight that infects our roadways. And while they are at it make them clean up the litter along the highways as well.Â
 @AWH1974 A marvelous idea....after a while it might even serve as a deterrent effect when the gangbangers know that when they put up their 'tags' the only thing they're doing is causing a lot of work for their 'homies' in jail.
 @Stoat  @AWH1974 Something tells me their "homies" don't behave well enough in jail to get on a work crew...
 @stamperzann  @Stoat  @AWH1974 A number of the ones doing this are mama's boys from Bellevue or other areas who view themselves as God's Gift to skateboards and paint cans. A lot of them are not from the hood...
Why don't they just clean it up from 11PM to 5 AM? Â
 Multiculturalism (or ethnic diversity) = epic fail
 @Luke0walton Dumb. Plenty of taggers are suburban white kids.
"They do it for two main reasons," he said. "The first is attention-seeking behavior, and the second is thrill-seeking behavior."
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So, gang-bangers marking their territory has absolutely nothing to do with it at all?
Â
Because the traditional link of gang territorialism to illegal graffiti isn't even mentioned in this article, the entire relevance and truthfulness of the article comes into question. Â If this is 'entirely' due to criminal 'artists' that's one thing, but if this increase in gang-style graffiti corresponds to an increase of gang activity in the region then the public deserves to be informed.
Â
Oh, pardon me...I forgot for a moment that we're all supposed to be blissfully comfortable with the official line that all crime is going down everywhere due to the spectacular anti-crime efforts that Democrat administrations are so very famous for.
Its just gray cement, who cares? I actually like seeing some of it. Some of it is very artistic and its not hurting anything. Cleaning it up just wastes more tax payers dollars on something that just isn't a problem. Maybe I'll start buy cases of different colored paints and just drop them off at these locations.lol
 @Blindman Technically, that is destroying public/private property. So yes! That is an issue! I take it you're one of them? Once again, you live up to your name.
 @Zoso  @Blindman Technically, yes it is.  However, the DOT has far bigger fish to fry and no money to do it with So maybe they just need to let it go.  And, maybe once we stop giving them the attention by continuing to paint over it, they'll go away (or at least somewhere else).
 @stamperzann  @Zoso  @Blindman You are correct, especially about money. Perhaps we could get that idiot Tim Eyman to introduce a bill to raise taxes just to keep the graffiti cleaned off.
 @stamperzann They'll go away? Not gonna happen.
Never got who these people are trying to impress ? Are they thinking 10,000 people a day will see our tag and know we are the best ? No one knows who they are or cares they think they own 2 blocks of town. They are just like dogs marking a fire hydrant.
@SkaBob It is ironic really. It is an attempt to say to the world "look at me, I am somebody". And yet...when all you can aspire to be is a vandal, you really are a nobody - an insignificant spec on the landscape.
Yeah, the Big Liberal City Graffitti looks really good next to Camp Obama in the "Jungle" (just off I-5 by the I-90 interchange). Its a reminder of the decline and decay of the U.S.A. under Barack Mugabe.
Â
 @Attila The "jungle" was there long before Obama. What are some of you folks going to do when the demographics and age shift to the point where people elect the first gay, Hispanic, female president?Â
 @Citizen#3457899654   Love to see a gay, Hispanic, female Republican. No problem on this end.
Vandals cost taxpayers and property owners millions of dollars each month in Seattle. They are nothing but scums. It's time to wipe them out. Seattle police, how about an undercover operation?They come out at night between 11 pm to 5 am in the morning at the same location. KOMO, how about shaming some of them like putting up their mugshots, criminal records, and family names? Prosecutors, how about making the vandals pay. Make sure their life will never be the same once caught.
Make them take night classes to learn how to write too.
99.99999% of graffiti is illegible, if I even cared what any of it said I couldn't read it anyway.
But, you want some real fun, go to their tags and paint big red X's over their art. That's a sign of "dis" from a rival gang. If you know of a rival gangs signs, paint them on. 1UC is one I see around a lot.Â
Then a war will break out between them and they won't even know it wasn't them that started it. Less gang bangers will result :)
How do they paint while holding up their pants?
 @Powderhound Worth a good chuckle but as someone else pointed out, a lot of them are suburban white boys well into their twenties.Â
Yep. those would be the ones with their pants around their knees and their boxers hanging out. Driving their little rice burner Hondas that mommy and daddy bought them, all leaned back and to the center of their car. Listening to hard core rap acting like it mirrors their life.
What a confused, lost subculture.
"The man got me down and mamma alway gotsta'Â be trippin' yo".
 @Citizen#3457899654 In my area that question applies to them as well.
 @Powderhound I've seen a couple that didn't...keep them up.
Not a pretty sight on an overpass...