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| PORTO ALREGE, Brazil – Fed up with taggers, police here say they intend to build conspiracy cases against them, which could result in lengthy prison terms. Tagging in Brazil is considered both vandalism and an environmental crime which can result in up to one year in jail.
Tagger in Porto Alrege (Photo: terra.com.br/Civil Police)
The problem of tagging in Porto Alegre
In this southern state capital, where the taggers scrawls are seemingly everywhere, convictions often result in small fines or community service. Police say that light sentences serve only to embolden offenders, so moving forward, they intend to build felony conspiracy cases which allow for sentences of up to three years in state prison.
The police investigation into Porto Alegro tagging
“Once we deciphered the signatures on the walls, we found that there are various people participating in graffiti. So we have a gang, or band, committing a conspiracy, and the penalty increases to three years in prison. Caught in the act, we can take them straight to jail. We don't need to obtain an arrest warrant because it is a felony crime in progress,” Paulo Cesar, of the Civil Police told terra.com.br.
The spokesman went on to say that the police investigated tagging for six months, identified 40 offenders in Porto Alegre and has their phone numbers, addresses and physical descriptions. He notes that because the taggers are vain, the admit that they work together in their fight for urban space. “They're all over the city and are between 18 and 30 years old. It was a work of intelligence and conversation, we know what works in these groups,” said the spokesman.
Police say that the next taggers caught in Porto Alegre will be taken directly to the Central Jail. He says that police have already warned taggers that they will have plenty of time to reflect on the silliness of their crimes in a jail cell.
“We are organized and ready to put an end to it. We believe that this will stop tagging in the city,” said the spokesman. In the last three months, two young people fell from buildings while tagging in Porto Alegre. One of them fell from 20 meters (65 feet) and suffered severe fractures from which he is still recovering.
The potential punishment for tagging in Porto Alegre
If proven, the penalties can be up to six years in prison for the the crimes of damage to public property, damage to private property and conspiracy.
Graffiti is not a crime in Porto Alegre
Graffiti, unlike tagging, is a more elaborate design and aesthetic interest, being socially accepted as a form of contemporary artistic expression, respected and even encouraged by the Government, which allows some places in the city for artistic expression. According to police, graffiti is allowed, provided that the graffiti artist has a permit for their work.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Source(s) for this article: terra.com.br
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