 Marking the third installment of a graffiti-tracking program in the state of California, San Diego joins Escondido and El Cajon in a fight against vandalism in their communities.
The pilot project, a GPS-based tracking system named Graffiti Tracker, was announced on January 27, 2011. Its goal is to locate and punish repeat offenders while sending a message that tagging and other types of vandalism will not be tolerated.
Graffiti Tracker uses GPS-enabled digital cameras to capture the location and style of graffiti. The photos are uploaded to a secure online system, then analyzed for gang-related tags or other potential threats. With over 2 million images analyzed thus far, the potential for matching new graffiti to stored images is promising.
When photos are taken with the Graffiti Tracker cameras, the GPS coordinates are automatically saved and then plotted on an interactive map. The map includes a legend that allows users to search by specific gangs or vandals based on the depicted tags. This is beneficial for law enforcement agents who are trying to determine graffiti trends.
The online storage of data is an excellent way for neighboring communities to share information and concerns. With this wealth of knowledge, authorities can monitor repeat offenders and commonly tagged areas. Moving forward, the city of San Diego hopes the installation of the Graffiti Trackers will reduce future tagging while increasing the amount of restitution to pay for past vandalism. |
