THIS week, two Albury youths who pleaded guilty to graffiti offences were put on 12-month bonds in Albury Children’s Court after the court heard an arrangement between the Albury Council and Juvenile Justice Service to clean up graffiti was still to be finalised.
Yesterday it was revealed that deal could still be months away, although Albury Mayor Alice Glachan and council director Brad Ferris have assured the public it is being progressed.
Late last year, The Border Mail reported graffiti offenders would have to clean up their mess following extensive talks between the department, the council and police.
Earlier in the year, magistrate Gordon Lerve said he would like to see specific enforcement powers to order offenders to remove their graffiti describing the offence as a “social evil”.
Since then there have been further graffiti attacks on different parts of Albury and Wodonga, and while police have succeeded in making arrests, the potential to follow through on having the offenders clean up has not eventuated.
This arrangement needs to be progressed in a more timely manner if police and the courts are to have another weapon in their fight against the offence.
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