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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 12, 2005

Seven teenage boys charged in 40 graffiti offenses

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer

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Seven boys arrested by Wahiawa Crime Reduction Unit officers over the past two weeks were responsible for 40 graffiti-related offenses on public property from Pupukea to Mililani, according to police.

The boys from Wahiawa and Whitmore Village, have been charged as minors with third- and fourth-degree misdemeanor criminal property damage, said Maj. Michael Thomas, commander of the Wahiawa police district. All are believed to be first-time criminal offenders, he said. Their cases have been assigned to Family Court.

Under Hawai'i's new graffiti law, anyone convicted of graffiti vandalism three times within a five-year period could be sent to jail and/or fined $2,000.

Wahiawa CRU Officer Wendell Takata said all the boys arrested have accepted responsibility for their actions and that the eldest of those arrested and his parents have volunteered to do "paint-outs" to make amends. Four of the seven boys are 14 years old while the others are 17, 15 and 13.

The vandalism occurred at night, and the scope of damage ranged from "using marsh pens on bathroom walls in parks to marking the colorful new playground equipment at '16-acre park' in Mililani with permanent black marker ink," Takata said.

Takata learned "they did it for the challenge and excitement" of getting away with something. Most of the boys said they didn't have anything better to do, he said.

"I think it shows parents need to be more accountable in knowing where their kids are," Takata said. "One of the boys was at a sleepover and they went out because they had nothing to do."

Takata offered some tips on what to be on the lookout for.

"Wide-tip markers, over a quarter-inch, are bigger than the normal highlighters for school," Takata said of a common graffiti tool. "A lot of them will draw something out on paper before doing a wall. And, of course, spray paint cans.

"A couple of them told me what they do is art," Takata said, "but they need to know what they think is art is in reality a crime, and there's a price for it if they get caught."