The RNC have set up a dedicated tip line to help rub out graffiti and other spray paint damage in the metro region.
The announcement came Thursday on the heels of a recent, senseless act in downtown St. John’s that saw a trail of paint span the length of numerous storefronts.
Police have made several graffiti-related arrests since March, but concede the culprits can be hard to catch since they operate quickly and usually at night.
Meanwhile, the cleanup costs for business owners continue to mount, reducing whatever they’ve been able to recoup since the pandemic.
Gaylynne Gulliver with Downtown St. John’s spoke of a new property owner who just shelled out $40,000 to clean graffiti off their building.
“I mean that is a tough break. Most of what we’re dealing with is business owners downtown,” she said. “These are mom and pop shops and they can hardly afford to have 40 thousand, 10 thousand, five thousand dollars basically taken off their salary every year. That’s not something that anybody can actually handle.”
Police say most graffiti complaints involve “tagging” or the signature of the person behind the damage.
They’re trying to put faces to several tag names—CROE, CROKE, ACE of the REPUBLIC and ASEC. If you observe property damage in progress or have any information that would lead to the identification of those responsible for these tag names, contact the tip line at 709-729-8800.
