Is all graffiti being reported?

About six months ago, I discovered that not all government agencies report graffiti in the same way.  Schools appear to report almost all graffiti, but I am not sure about other arms of government.  I wrote last week to the Minister for Energy, Ian Macdonald, to ask him about how Energy Australia goes about reporting graffiti to the Police.

My concern is that if they aren't reporting it, then we don't have a complete picture of graffiti on public assets.  If Police arrest and charge a culprit, they may charge them with only a tiny percentage of the offences that they have actually committed, because lazy authorities have not provided the Police with a complete picture of their graffiti situation.

Once I get a response from Ian Macdonald, I am going to ask some other ministers about how the agencies in their portfolios go about reporting graffiti.  I made sure in this instance to list most of the reports that I have made, and then asked for a COPS event number for each instance.  If Energy Australia have a COPS event number, then it's been reported properly.  If they don't........

6 March 2009

The Hon. Ian Macdonald

Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Energy, Minister for Mineral Resources, Minister for State Development

Level 33

Governor Macquarie Tower

1 Farrer Place

SYDNEY NSW 2000

Dear Mr Macdonald

Energy Australia – graffiti reporting policy

As you may be aware the Attorney General’s Department runs an Anti-graffiti action team, of which Energy Australia is a member.

It has come to my attention that not all government authorities are reporting graffiti to the Police, even though this is strongly recommended by the Attorney General’s Department, and is plain common sense.

I have reported a number of instances of graffiti to Energy Australia over the past 9 months.  I want to be assured that as well as removing the graffiti, Energy Australia are reporting each incident to the Police for recording in the COPS database.

I have attached a list of Energy Australia case numbers, each referring to a report of graffiti that I have made to Energy Australia via telephone.  In all cases, the graffiti has been removed.  However, what I want to see is the COPS Event Number for each case, and the date each report to the Police was made.  

Please arrange for Energy Australia to provide this information to me.

If Energy Australia has not been reporting graffiti to the Police, then I would like you to explain how a failure to report fits in with the government’s anti-graffiti stance.

Yours sincerely

Kiosk Energy Australia reference number

k2051 REF 500064083

3219 REF 500064084

2829 REF 500064085

3599 REF 500064086

K1573 REF 500064087

4854 REF 500064088

50062885

50062886

50062887

50062888

50062889

50062890

50062892

50062893

50062894

50062896

50062897

500059339

500058754 

500058755

500058559

500058369

500058396

50003897

50003898

500058348

500058373

5000583470

500058371

500058372

Substation 3219 Ref 500058614

Substation k2051 Ref 500058615

Substation cp228 Ref 500058616

Substation at manning & springside Ref 500058617

Substation 4082 Ref 500058618

Substation 2178 Ref 500058619

Substation at Barnstaple & Trevanion Ref 500058630