Police out to counter Christmas graffiti threat

Date published: 20/12/2006

Whilst most people are sitting down to their Christmas dinners, a small band of graffiti vandals will be out intent on defacing the rail infrastructure.  Last year, the number of graffiti attacks over Christmas was three times higher than the previous month.

To try to stop them, an increased number of British Transport Police officers will be foregoing their own Christmas festivities to patrol the rail system.  The operation, codenamed Silverback, kicks off with a national Day of Action on Wednesday, 20 December, when police expect to arrest a number of known graffiti vandals

Welcoming Operation Silverback, Edward Funnell, Director of Communications at the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said:  "Graffiti is a scourge on our rail network.  It is messy, unsightly and sometimes dangerous vandalism that defaces trains and stations and costs the rail industry millions of pounds in clean-up costs every year.  We wish British Transport Police every success with their latest operation in catching some of the culprits.’

"With virtually no train movements on Christmas Day, it should be a quiet time for us,’ commented Detective Superintendent Ashley Croft.  "Unfortunately, we know these vandals will try to take advantage of the Christmas hiatus on the rail system to commit criminal damage that will cost rail companies thousands of pounds.’

Last year, 31 graffiti attacks were recorded on Christmas Day across the country, compared with just 11 on 25 November.  From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, 63 attacks were recorded compared with 20 over the same three days in November.

"These people are putting themselves in real danger,’ commented Detective Superintendent Croft.  "Even when there are no passenger services, there are still some train movements, and overhead cables and the third rail remain live at all times.’

Between 1 April and 3 November this year BTP recorded 3,729 graffiti offences, up 34% from 2,780 in the same period in 2005.

"We have made graffiti one of our targets for this year, so some of the increase in recording is due to police activity, but graffiti is often serious organised crime and it has been increasing,’ said Ashley Croft. 

"Some people like to debate the artistic merits of graffiti – it’s an irrelevant question.  If someone hits you with a baseball bat, you don’t start considering the quality of their swing.  Graffiti vandals are indulging in selfish, anti-social behaviour that is an attack on the environment.  Basically, they are taking a baseball bat to society with no concern for the consequences.’

BTP is working with Network Rail and train operators to improve security around depots and train stabling sites and the Christmas operation is the latest phase in that. Operation Silverback is being run regionally around Britain and includes high profile patrols at hotspots as well as covert activity.