King County cracks down on prolific graffiti vandals

In what officials described as the largest crackdown on graffiti vandalism in King County’s history, prosecutors have filed 34 felony cases against 17 defendants. The alleged taggers, some known by monikers such as “Dotcom,” “ScotyP” and “Wesh” are accused of repeatedly defacing buses, light-rail cars, freeway signs, traffic corridors and small businesses, ultimately costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Graffiti in King County. (Photo courtesy of charging documents via the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office) King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said the scope of the damage is immense. In Seattle alone, the city spends about $6 million annually on graffiti removal, while repeatedly tagged properties bear repair costs that strain both government resources and private business owners. Many small retailers must comply with a city ordinance to remove graffiti within 10 days, an expensive cycle as new tags often appear almost immediately after cleanup. “These prolific taggers have damaged all parts of King County,” Manion said. “It’s dangerous and costly, and it makes people feel unsafe in their neighborhoods. We know that some people consider certain kinds of graffiti as ‘art,’ but that doesn’t include dangling over a freeway lane to tag a traffic sign. That behavior endangers motorists...