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BOX OF FLORIDA Seedless Navel Oranges or Ruby Red Grapefruit $20.00 PER BOX CITRUS TRUCKLOAD SALE GEORGETOWN ACTON Tues., Feb. 5th, 10 am - 12 noon Yoyo Japanese Restaurant 357 Guelph St., (beside Ford dealership) Tues., Feb. 5th, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm The Olde Hide House (Eastern & Mill) 10 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, January 30, 2008 A Halton Police staff sergeant emphatical- ly denied there is any gang activity in Halton Hills when explaining the launch of the police services new graffiti removal program. Halton Regional Police Staff Sgt. Ray Bruce told members of Halton Hills council recently, We do not have any active gangs in Halton Hills. The remark was in rebuttal to a suggestion by a local resident, Michael Jander, who wanted to initiate a graf- fiti removal program last fall with the help of cor- porate sponsors. At that time, Jander, who runs an international security company, said rampant graffiti occurring in Halton Hills could be evidence of gangs mov- ing into the community and it must be stopped in its tracks. Subsequently, Halton Hills coun- cil gave Jander approval to start a graffiti eradi- cation program that would be funded by cor- porate sponsors (about $51,000) and use the efforts of volunteers to wipe away the evidence of graffiti in the town. The Town had agreed to try Janders pro- gram for one year, if it got the full co-operation and collaboration of Halton Regional Police. But it did not. Bruce said there are different types of graffi- ti gang (used to mark turf and convey threats); copycatting (mimics gang graffiti); tagging (the most common form involving ini- tials, scribbles, or more artistic type); conven- tional graffiti (isolated spontaneous acts often attributed to youthful exuberance) and ideo- logical (usually motivated by hate or racism). I can stand here before you and emphati- cally say we do not have any active gangs in Halton Hills, said Bruce, noting Halton Polices Intelligence Bureau and Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario back this state- ment. Bruce said the rash of graffiti experienced last fall was copycatting graffiti and since Halton Police arrested four young offenders there has been a significant reduction of graffi- ti, he said. I think its important to make a distinction between actual gang members doing gang graf- fiti and those who are copycatting or mimick- ing and thats exactly what we were experienc- ing in Halton Hills, said Bruce. Instead, Halton Police initiated their own simple and effective program based on edu- cation, engagement and enforcement. The education component involves the use of high school liaison officers working with boards of education, increasing the publics awareness about graffiti and the importance of immediately reporting graffiti to the police, and working with local young groups and sus- pects to understand the motive behind graffiti. The engagement component involves all members of the com- munity police, gov- ernment and the public. One of the most benefi- cial alliances so far, said Bruce, has been Halton Polices close working relationship with the Towns public works department. Other actions include the forma- tion of a simplified reporting process. The enforcement component includes estab- lishing a photographic database with offender and geographic profiling that helps identifies hot spots. Other enforcement actions will include youth diversion programs, Town bylaw enforcement and the establishment of a private property owner notification protocol for imme- diate removal of the graffiti. The goal, said Bruce, is removal of the graf- fiti within 72 hours (24 hours if its racist or obscene). Bruce said its unreasonable to expect that graffiti can be eradicated, but it can be man- aged effectively. If left unchecked, he said, the perception is left that nobody cares about the community. This program is primarily target- ing Halton Hills at this time. Graffiti is not just a Halton Hills issue. It is everywhere, said Mayor Rick Bonnette. It seems to be the latest fad for the last five years. Its something that is costly and unsightly... I think the police have stepped forward on this. The Town will give the police program a try for a year, and if its not successful, then revisit Janders plan. In the meantime, the Towns Public Works department will continue with its graffiti removal program from municipal facilities, and the Towns Enforcement branch will use prop- erty standards bylaws and orders to get graffiti removed from privately-owned buildings. (Cynthia Gamble can be reached at cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Halton Police insist graffiti is not the work of gangs CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer STAFF SGT. RAY BRUCE We do not have any active gangs in Halton Hills.