INJUNCTION ON TAGGERS...A HORRIBLE IDEA

This story came out on the LA Times yesterday and has really bothered me.
The LA city attorney has come up with a plan to have injunctions on taggers much like they are doing on gangs in certain areas of LA.

This is so against our rights as citizens of this country, I can't believe this guy is serious! Stopping vandalism and enforcing laws is one thing, but not to be able to gather with others who "might be" considered taggers and can lead to arrest? We might as well be in Nazi Germany.

Here's the LA Times story..
'Tagging' or just hanging out -- busted either way?
By Scott Gold

As a result of the story I was asked to talk on a radio show today to discuss this issue, here's the link:
Bagging Tagging--Gone Too Far?

Unfortunately, I didnt get enough airtime to really cover all the points that make this idea so wrong but here are a few:

1.Racial Profiling:
-who will distinguish what a tagger looks like?
-can he (or she) be white and from the West Side? Or only low income, minority areas will be targeted?

2.Innocent Until Proven Guilty:
-here you are guilty by association, they don't even have to catch you in the act of doing graffiti, just talking about it is enough. Can you say "thought police"?
-what if you are photographing graffiti? Are you guilty as well?

3.Won't Work As a Deterrent:
-in Brazil police shoot to kill at graffiti taggers, tagging hasnt stopped.
-harsh punishment already exists for graffiti in LA (its a felony) we don't need more.

4.Further Criminalization of Our Youth:
-so we will begin to throw more kids in the system for non-violent offenses and further burden our already broken system of jails and services?

I can go on and on..but please take the time to let your voice be heard and let the city attorney's office know that we won't stand for this kind of short minded way of thinking.


Carmen Trutanich,
City Attorney

* Office of the City Attorney
City Hall East
200 N. Main Street, Room 800
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-978-8100
Fax: 213-978-8312



*In this economy we need more jobs not jails!
(Where have I heard that before?)

*"NO" to punitive ways of dealing with social issues:
immigration, graffiti, etc..

Enough is Enough!


*