Who you gonna call? Tagbusters.

Hamilton’s Tagbuster team is back in action and
reporting an increase in graffiti.

Jim Wheeler is the Liaison Officer with the City Safe Operations Unit of the City Council whose Tagbusters unit is responsible for removing graffiti from around the city.

“Taggers
feel less restricted when there are less people about, that they can be bolder
and more open, as with fewer people there means less chance of them getting
caught,” says Jim.

Removing graffiti costs Hamilton city $700,000
a year.

The city council has a policy of endeavouring
the remove publicly reported tagging within 48 hours through Tagbusters and
runs an around-the-clock hotline for people to report cases.

The team’s cleaning powers were diluted by the restrictions of Level 3, but since Wednesday they have been back in action.

Wheeler says the team who deals with 12,000 pieces of graffiti a year – has been greeted with the “usual types” of tagging and some related to resistance to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Taggers made a huge mess in Morrinsville at the
start of October, covering Thames Street businesses, fences, and vehicles in spray
paint. They appear to be running sort of spray paint – the latest political
views tagged in Cambridge have been done in crayon.

Graffiti
anywhere within Hamilton can be reported by calling 0800 Tagbusters – 0800 824
287.