Graffiti News

WAILUKU — Police have linked a group of seven teenagers to 47 recent graffiti cases in Central Maui, even as cleanup continues at businesses, county parks and community centers hit by vandalism.

“It’s definitely a problem,” said Kau‘i Awai-Dickson, spokeswoman for Maui Electric Co., which has had its green transformer boxes and substations defaced. “At the end of the day, what’s unfortunate is we do have to do the repairs, keep up with maintenance and be sure we get those boxes and substations looking the way they should.”

The recent graffiti incidents involved several different monikers that were spray painted at schools, in Kahului and Wailuku industrial areas, and at the Keopuolani and Kahului Community Center parks, Kokua Pool, the Iao Stream channel and on vehicles, said Sgt. David Silva of the police Juvenile Section. The cost of cleaning up the damage that occurred from December to February came to $32,858.

He said juvenile investigators discovered the cases of graffiti were connected after finding a wall covered with similar graffiti in Waiehu Terrace. The wall on Hilinai Street bordered a house.

When police contacted the homeowner, he said he had allowed his son and nephew to practice graffiti on the wall and that friends of his son also tagged the wall, Silva said.

Investigators questioned the son and nephew, both 17-year-olds, and learned that they and five other 17-year-old boys were doing the graffiti, Silva said. All are Central Maui residents.

Two of the teenagers are repeat offenders who were implicated in prior graffiti cases, Silva said.

Juvenile investigators Sam Gasmen, Dale Corpuz and Richard Rodriguez worked on the cases, documenting 32 counts of fourth-degree criminal property damage, 12 counts of third-degree criminal property damage and three counts of felony second-degree criminal property damage.

“The officers did an excellent job in their investigations by going through the community and trying to locate these people responsible for damaging our community,” Silva said. “We’re not going to settle for anything less than prosecution.”

Since last year, juvenile investigators have identified three groups of young adults and juveniles responsible for graffiti that caused more than $60,000 in damage throughout the island. Police reports on the cases were sent to the Maui County prosecutor’s office.

Because of confidentiality laws that apply to juveniles, information was not available about how the earlier cases have been handled.

Police contacted those victimized in the recent spate of graffiti.

“The majority strongly desire prosecution and restitution,” Silva said.

Home Maid Bakery is waiting for action on its insurance claims before repainting three delivery vans that were tagged with blue spray paint markings while parked outside the business on Lower Main Street in Wailuku.

“It’s very unsightly,” said Wayne Takaki, operations manager. “Hopefully, we can get it cleaned up very shortly.”

The type of tagging seen on the vans was prevalent at some Maui County parks as well, said James Barclay, working painting supervisor for the construction unit of the county Parks and Recreation Department.

He and painter Jarrad Kalua have been kept busy with graffiti cleanup in addition to other regular painting duties.

“It has been a gigantic problem,” Barclay said. “We’re the only two painters. When we have to run all over the place because of the graffiti, it’s very hard.”

He said some graffiti seem to be gang-related or sexual, while other markings express hostility.

“It’s a wide range. A lot of times, we don’t know what they’re saying,” Barclay said. “We try to get to it as fast as we can. Sometimes it’ll take a week or two. Then it’ll come right back.”

Barclay said the only time he and other county employees were informed about prosecution in a graffiti case was last year when they were notified that they might be called to testify against a young adult who was arrested for “gang-style tagging” to the skate park, playground and restrooms at Kalama Park in Kihei in August.

The damage was estimated at more than $1,500, with the county pinning the cost of graffiti cleanup at $60 per square foot. But in a plea agreement, the felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and labor costs were subtracted from the restitution, which ended up being $580. The youth was ordered to do community service, including possible graffiti cleanup.

It was a disappointing resolution, Barclay said, considering the use of taxpayer money for labor, gas and supplies.

“It’s very sad to have people doing this,” he said. “Basically, I think there should be stiffer punishment. The court should really go through with this because they are damaging public property. They can’t just keep letting them go.”

Two years ago, graffiti in county parks, swimming pools and community centers was “very sporadic” and only in certain locations, Barclay said.

“Over the last year and a half it has really multiplied,” he said. “It was all over and it became worse.”

But he noticed a lull in mid-March, as spring break was beginning, possibly because of the recent police investigation identifying some of the culprits.

Awai-Dickson said community service would be appropriate as a way for taggers to make amends.

“At the very least, they could help to clean up the graffiti they caused,” she said. “Then, hopefully, they will come to realize exactly what they are doing to society and our environment. And they can try to be a productive part of it.”

Since last May, Maui Electric employees have supervised juveniles who help paint over graffiti on company property as community service through the Maui Police Department’s Project POI (Positive Outreach Intervention). Police juvenile counselors run the program for some juveniles arrested for crimes.

“We work with them and try to mentor them at the same time,” Awai-Dickson said.

Some of the youths spent a half-day painting over graffiti at MECO’s Paia substation.

MECO paid for newspaper ads showing the youths doing the cleanup to try to create awareness about the problem.

“It’s a community problem,” Awai-Dickson said. “It’s going to be a community solution. Everyone needs to get involved.”

Silva said residents can help by paying more attention to what may be happening around them. He said people can call police at 244-6400 to report suspicious activity.