(MEAFORD, ON) – The Grey County OPP has been receiving reports of graffiti in the town of Meaford. Acts of graffiti can occur anywhere and the resulting clean up can become a significant burden on a municipal budget.
Graffiti is any writing, symbols or drawing applied to any surface without the property owner’s consent. Most acts of graffiti make reference to hip-hop culture, but graffiti is also used by gangs and other extremists.
Graffiti negatively impacts a community’s beautification. The removal or repair costs can be expensive, but it must be removed. Graffiti left unchallenged suggests a community that is apathetic about its appearance and most often leads to more graffiti being applied.
When a person applies graffiti, they are committing a criminal code offence called Mischief, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
The Grey County OPP is requesting anyone with information that can assist police to call 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or send a web-tip to crimestop-gb.org, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.