Law could tag graffiti suspect

A 23-year-old Omaha man faces stiff penalties if he becomes the first person to be convicted under Nebraska's new anti-graffiti law.

Omaha police believe that the man is responsible for spray-painting five north Omaha businesses over a three-month period. At one of the businesses, the Charles Drew Health Center at 2912 Manderson St., the man is accused of returning to spray graffiti a second time.

That second time is what could cost him under the state's new comprehensive anti-crime bill, Legislative Bill 63, because that incident occurred after May 29, when the law went into effect.

In all, the man was ticketed on suspicion of seven counts of graffiti, five counts of criminal mischief and seven counts of trespassing. He was arrested Wednesday and was being held at the Douglas County Correctional Center.

If found guilty of the new charge of unauthorized application of graffiti, the man could be ordered to clean up, repair or replace the damaged property; keep that property or another piece of property in the community free of graffiti for up to a year; pay restitution and be put to work; undergo counseling; and have his driver's license suspended for up to one year.

A second conviction under the new law would be a felony and subject a person to prison time.

Graffiti cleanup crews in Omaha last year responded to nearly 2,500 reports of graffiti around the city, including repeat visits to previously defaced locations.

Sgt. Laurie Long of the Police Department's gang unit said she thinks the new law will be a deterrent to graffiti vandals.

“The individuals committing the crimes might not be here if they get significant sentences,” Long said. “Also, it allows judges to make them clean it up, and not just their own. Other people's graffiti, too.”

Contact the writer:

444-1279, jason.kuiper@owh.com

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