Graffiti spree

By Monique Ebrington
TWO 15-year-old boys are each set to be charged with 20 counts of criminal damage after a graffiti rampage through Warburton.
Yarra Junction police Leading Senior Constable Ben Aulich said shopkeepers, residents and emergency service workers woke on Friday 12 February to find graffiti tags covering property throughout the town’s main street.
Leading Sen Const Aulich said the charges also followed a break-in at the Warburton Newsagency in which chocolates, cigarettes, drinks and an SES collection tin were stolen.
He said the actions were absurd and that in one night the Upper Yarra Arts Centre, the Water Wheel precinct, Three Sugars, Fred’s Milk Bar, Crundish Cafe, road signs, the CFA and police stations as well as the Brisbane Hill Bridge were tagged.
He said the damage caused by the incidents had been extensive.
“They have affected 15 shopkeepers, the CFA and police,” Leading Sen Const Aulich said.
“They also tagged around 18 shire signs and a private car, so there’s probably up to 19 victims directly affected by their actions.
“They have done graffiti from Brisbane Hill Bridge down to the milk bar, along the whole length of the street. There are only a few buildings that they passed over.”
Warburton resident Maxine Chippendale co-owns the newsagency with her husband Peter and said they were woken at 1.15am on the Friday by police after vandals triggered the store’s silent alarm system.
She said that of all the items stolen from their shop she was particularly annoyed that the SES collection tin was taken. She said they should receive a community punishment.
“It really annoyed me seeing everyone cleaning up their windows. They should have cleaned it up themselves,” Mrs Chippendale said.
“If the police could have made them clean up the mess, it would have been a better punishment. It would have taken them 10 hours to clean up the mess they created.”
Leading Sen Const Aulich said the boys were arrested that weekend.
“Information supplied to police eventuated in the application for a search warrant,” he said.
“At that location a quantity of the cigarettes and other stolen items from the newsagent were located.
“A 15-year-old at the address was arrested and interviewed by Yarra Junction police on the Friday night,” he said.
“And on Sunday afternoon another 15-year-old male was arrested and interviewed in relation to the same offences.”
He estimated the pair had left a repair cost of about $5000.
He said the two teens arrested over the incidents would both receive two separate counts of burglary and theft and, at this stage, approximately 20 charges of criminal damage each.
“There will be a zero tolerance on graffiti and individuals can expect to face the children’s or magistrates court if they are caught with graffiti implements or doing any damage,” he said.
He also said that parents had a duty of care to ensure that their children, under the age of 15, were supervised at night.
Residents who witness a graffiti attack or have any information on graffiti in the Upper Yarra are encouraged to phone Yarra Junction police on 5967 1104 or Warburton police on 5966 2006.