Everyone in one way or another loves to express what they feel. Many people use words or writing. Their intention for speaking their mind is to get other people to get their point of view. Many people who choose to write often will sit down to a pad and paper; however there are still some who take a very different approach, people called taggers, and the way that they choose to express themselves is through graphic presentations on buildings and billboards worldwide.
A tagger's number one tool is their spray paint and they will often find any way to get that paint. Because of certain age restrictions in California, stores are forced to take extra measures against theft. Many stores in my community require a validated California driver's license and keep their paint locked up. Warning signs are also clearly posted throughout the store listing the consequences of tagging, both the fines and possible jail time.
A battle that occurs between tagging crews is known as a “turf war”. A turf war is when to rival gangs will set up a type of battle where the sole goal is to spread the most tagging possible. It is very evident when one of these battles takes place, because a majority of the damage happens in just one night. Taggers will spread across the town and will spraypaint a logo or image that represents them. Once they have tagged that area it becomes their “turf” and the other gang will then try to out-do the art that the other gang has put forth. By the end of the designated time, who ever has set up the most tags in the area wins.
Taggers are often viewed as destructive and without justifiable cause. While some taggers may choose to cause destruction or spread hate, many tag to help spread a message. Tagging is “a type of graffiti that is relatively quick and easy to do. It’s done mostly by youths with a goal of tagging as many surfaces as possible” (OttawaPolice.ca).
Tags like these can be found all across the world. Many tags are random words or symbols that represent a person or group.
Sometimes these messages are political, and can be aimed at a president or some public figure. Other times, they are used to show support for a fallen comrade. Many spray painted images can be seen across the county I live in that read “Free [person’s name]”. While taggers may understand that what they do is wrong to some people, they often continue to do it because they feel it fulfills a purpose. Some taggers do not even create their art illegally. In the city of Melbourne, Australia, artists can be granted tagging permits that, with the consent of a property owner, will allow them to create their masterpieces without breaking any laws. “The street art permit system encourages and manages legal street art and provides legitimate avenues for murals and street art to be displayed” (City of Melbourne). Without the ability to tag, they would not be able to spread their thoughts to such a large audience. Many enjoy tagging because it offers them the ability to aesthetically voice their feelings in a way that allows the general public to recognize it. Many taggers are regarded as artists, and because of this, they want to be recognized for their work. A man by the name of Don White, a former tagger whose works can be seen across the world said, “The biggest battle for us was to fight for our individualism, we had to stand out as individuals” (Graffiti.org). Don and others like him wanted people to see his work as something that he created, and not just another piece of graffiti spread across the city.
However, some people have a very different outlook on tagging. Many people frown on the idea of causing so much destruction and see it as being juvenile and reckless. Many members of communities form groups that hope to counter the damage that they see being done by these 'reckless' individuals. While these people do help to stop a small part of the tagging, it is obvious that more aid is necessary. Often, this comes from police. Many police agencies form organizations that are solely dedicated to fighting taggers and finding new ways to counter their vandalizing. Other large-scale groups who oppose tagging seek to gain as much knowledge as they can about the subject in an effort to abolish it.
I agree with the second perspective for many reasons, not only because of the toll it can take on my community, but the damage that can be done to the people that take part in it. Tagging causes damage to properties and often after an area in La Habra, California is tagged once, it will be attacked multiple times because it becomes a target. Another problem is that taggers often join tagging groups, or gangs that enjoy taking part in the same ruthless activity. These groups often grow largely in size, and help them to spread their symbols across the city quickly, often overnight. Gang memberships often label people and draw negative attention to them. Lastly, associations with gangs like these can lead to large amounts of violence.
Tagging can cause damage to people’s properties in many different ways. The most obvious way is structural damage. All across my city, tagging can be seen just about anywhere you go. Often targeted are benches walls and buildings, and extensively down alleys and across billboards. Almost every night the city becomes a haven for taggers, whose work can be seen everywhere the next day. Tagging is often very permanent if certain precautions are not taken and not only take a toll on the property itself, but whoever it belongs to. It often undermines an individual’s false sense of security because they realize how easily they are open to attack. Vulnerability like this can be very unnerving and one thing that victims must remember that the best thing to do when some kind of writing goes up on your property is to remove it. Often locations are hit multiple times because the owner fails to act quickly enough and the taggers feel that they can get away with it. However as Aubrey Lebard, a member of Rotary International told me, if victims remove the tagging then the taggers often feel that they did their work in vain and won’t hit the same location because they do not wish to waste their time.
Tagging can also create a negative image in a community and can sometimes make the residents feel uneasy. Tagging in general is an eyesore, and its mere presence can change the way you feel about an area. There are certain parts of La Habra that have been largely affected by tagging and now appear run down and unsafe. While the general public may look down upon it, you must really try to feel for the people in that area, because they are forced to look at it day after day.
Another problem with tagging is that it often leads to an association with a tagging gang or crew. Tagging crews roam the city looking for possible backdrops for their art. Often many of these people share the same ideals and hope to use tagging as a form of expression, but that can often change overtime. These people who take part in illegal activities together often become involved in a variety of other gang related activities such as violence or robberies. Often associations with these gangs can have very unpredictable results. Just one month ago, a boy in the Rampart district of L.A. was murdered due to his ties with tagging LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said, “The boy was affiliated with a local tagging crew and the shooter saw him as a rival” (Los Angeles Times).
Many law enforcement agencies have stepped forward with special programs that aim to stop tagging in its tracks. These groups are strongly educated on the strategies of tagging and aim to find new ways to try to control the epidemic. Nightly patrols by my local law enforcement can be seen. In Los Angeles, cameras are being installed in tagging hot zones that capture an image of the taggers identity that can then be documented and later used against them (New York Times). These cameras allow law enforcement to pin a face on the different labels they find across the city. I believe that this is a very important step in the fight against tagging and I would really like to see technology like this implemented in my city. However something that can be even more helpful in the fight against tagging is cooperation from members of the community.
The best way to defend our city from tagging is to be knowledgeable. Members of the community must become aware of what is happening around them and must seek ways to defend their community and their property from the damage seeking individuals. One way that Los Angeles is helping the community to battle tagging is through T.A.G. “T.A.G.-Totally Against Graffiti works with County agencies, targeted schools, Law Enforcement, and the media to educate the public about the community costs and consequences of graffiti” (4tagla.com). With help like this, communities are strongly informed about the different problems that result from tagging and create a sense of support within the community. Many methods are now available that help to defend possible targets from tagging. Many chemicals are available that will not adhere well to paint and will often make the job of cleaning it up much easier.
I had a personal experience involving tagging a few years ago. While on our way to a store with some friends, we saw a tagger at work on a bench right across the street from the store. We were surprised to actually see something like that going on because normally you only see the aftermath of tagging. As we parked we watched as the tagger made his way up the street away from his work. As we watched him my friend commented on how casually the tagger was walking up the street; however he should have known better than to act so nonchalant. Somehow his act was witnessed and justice was served. As he made his way up to the intersection he was met by a police car that stopped him. After about ten minutes of conversing the vandal was handcuffed and placed into the back of the squad car. It is strange to hear stories in the news about incidents like these, but to actually see something like this occur really opened my eyes to how serious the police take these crimes.
If we continue to neglect the problem that takes place before us then it will one day reach a point that we will have no control. The most important thing for any citizen to be concerned with is the safety in their community so they must realize the problems that arise from this. Tagging not only has a negative impact on the city around us, but also influences our cities youth to take part in the activity and can sometimes have very damaging effects in their lives. If we can one day find a way to rid ourselves of taggers we will be able to structure a much stronger community in our city for generations to come.
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