There appears to have been fewer incidents of graffiti vandalism in downtown Hilo since police asked for the public’s help to identify taggers in mid-June.
There appears to have been fewer incidents of graffiti vandalism in downtown Hilo since police asked for the public’s help to identify taggers in mid-June.
That’s according to Jeffrey Mermel, president of the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association.
“The graffiti has really diminished in terms of the quantity,” Mermel said last week. “You know, I do drive and walk all over downtown, which is my beat, so I know that it’s decreased.”
Lt. Darren Horio of the Hilo Community Policing Division was a bit more guarded in his appraisal, but also expressed optimism the tagging incidents have diminished.
“There hasn’t been an increase in it that we have noticed, and we have gotten some groups to help clean it up. Aina Keepers always helps,” Horio said Monday.
Mermel also praised the work of Aina Keepers, a program administered by Goodwill Industries that employs developmentally disabled adults to paint over graffiti and perform other beautification projects, such as picking up trash and turning in recyclables.
The program’s leader, Leilani Kruger, said Aina Keepers’ participants display “pride in doing something positive for the Hilo community.”
“We do a chant, and it’s all about malama ka aina. It’s all about taking care of the land,” she said. “We may be just going out to eat lunch, but they’ll spot graffiti a mile away. … We’ll write down the location, and we’ll find out who has authority over the graffiti-ridden structure.”
Mermel also pointed to the county’s Traffic and Parks and Recreation divisions, which he said “have responded really fast when it was on their property.”
While the defacement of walls, bridges and other structures by spray paint-wielding vandals might have slowed in the past month and a half, it hasn’t completely halted.
Wade Akui, vice president of the Wailoa Razorbacks Pop Warner football team, said a tagger hit the rented 20-foot container his team uses to store equipment at Mooheau Park sometime in late July.
“The whole thing about it is, this is for the kids,” Akui said. “We’re bringing kids down here to the park to play football and try to deter the kids from doing this kind of stuff. Now, they’ve got to see this. It’s sad.”
The graffiti, spray-painted in red on the ocean side of the tan container, was still visible Monday from Hilo Bayfront Highway.
Horio said the incident was reported to police.
Graffiti is classified as criminal property damage, which for adults is a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail. The parents of juveniles found responsible for graffiti could be held liable for monetary damages.
Horio said one juvenile was apprehended June 16 by Community Policing Officer Gavin Kagimoto, but no additional arrests have been made since. Horio added there are suspects, but to make arrests, taggers have to be caught in the act.
Police ask the public to report any suspicious activity. Victims of graffiti should report the damage to police for documentation and then have the graffiti removed as soon as possible to take away the glory taggers desire, police said.
Anyone with information about the persons responsible for graffiti in the Hilo area is asked to contact Kagimoto at 961-8121 or gkagimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us.
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.