Winton residents are skeptical about the effect of the Council's plan to offer a £100 reward for reports which lead to the arrest and conviction of a notorious Winton graffiti artist.
Winton's rising graffiti problem has left residents upset, but the effectiveness of the council's latest scheme is yet to be seen.
Locals have continually voiced their concerns at monthly Winton forum meetings and now the council has taken the issue into its own hands.
However, not all residents think that the council's cash incentive will work.
Barber Richard Hopkins, of Withermoor Road, Winton says: "There is obviously one person or a particular gang responsible and you can tell this because most of the graffiti styles are similar and they all have the same signature below that says 'TMC'."
Mr Hopkins used to be a graffiti artist as a teenager and he adds: "Graffiti in itself is not bad, it's a lovely art. These kids have no youth groups or places where they can meet and let out their creativity. The council should not only be set on catching the guilty. They should also look to help them use their talents in a creative way."
Winton doesn't have a local youth group, which has further angered locals.
A local newsagent owner who didn't want to be named is doubtful that the council will do anything productive to tackle the issue: "Young idiots who have nothing to do are responsible for this mess. What the council needs to do is give them a separate wall or a place to do their work, so that our businesses are not affected. The council could at least send someone to try and clean up the mess and repaint."
Head of Pest Control and Specialist Cleaning at the council, Nick Wedge, admits that more can be done to catch the culprits than just offering rewards: "Basically, CCTV cameras are the most effective way to get a lead on this problem."
However, most streets in Bournemouth with graffiti issues do not yet have CCTV cameras.
1 comment:
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