Many people, including some police officers, feel investigating graffiti is a waste of time because, “it’s just kids messing around.” This simple response shows a lack of understanding and knowledge of the subject matter.

Dedicated officers who investigate graffiti know it is associated with rampant abuse of drugs and alcohol and other criminal activity, including break and enter, arson, theft, robbery, sexual assault, drug trafficking and production and possession of weapons and child pornography.

With almost nine years of experience investigating graffiti crime I have become very familiar with the dark side of the subculture. To simply put up a tag, a true graffiti writer will steal his tools, spray paint, markers, etc ( it’s called “racking”) and illegally consume alcohol and drugs before heading out (it’s common to see “drunk” or “high” written next to a tag, especially if it’s sloppily done, to excuse the poor technique).

Calling a phone number to make a drug deal on nothing more than a mere suspicion amounts to entrapment, British Columbia’s highest court has held.

In R. v. Swan, 2009 BCCA 142, the accused was arrested following an undercover dial-a-dope operation. A police officer compiled a list of phone numbers suspected of being associated to persons involved in dial-a-dope transactions. He e-mailed the entire department, asking them to get names or phone numbers or the best tip they could on a dial-a-doper and received 150-250 telephone numbers (tips) which came in various ways; e-mail, matchbooks, napkins, teared off pieces of paper, Crimestoppers tips or just a phone number on a slip of paper.