San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System is celebrating a win in court today, as an unnamed juvenile was ordered to pay $14,710 in restitution for vandalism damage to MTS property.
The vandal’s graffiti was identified by Graffiti Tracker, an online system that helps various entities identify, track, and eventually prosecute and seek restitution from guilty parties. San Diego County and all city governments in the region are members of the program. Graffiti Tracker has analyzed nearly 2.8 million photos of vandalism, resulting in 2,721 arrests and more than $4.8 million in restitution fines being levied.
“Vandals need to understand that we have the tools to catch them and make them pay,” said Paul Jablonski, chief executive officer of MTS in a press release. “Vandals cause more than 1 million dollars' worth of damage each year to the trolley system alone. We hope Graffiti Tracker helps us substantially reduce that amount by successfully prosecuting vandals.”
The youth sentenced today used spray paint, permanent markers, and glass-etching tools to damage MTS property in at least 20 locations. The software is designed to compare graffiti from across the county to determine how many marks have been placed by a given individual.
San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System is celebrating a win in court today, as an unnamed juvenile was ordered to pay $14,710 in restitution for vandalism damage to MTS property.
The vandal’s graffiti was identified by Graffiti Tracker, an online system that helps various entities identify, track, and eventually prosecute and seek restitution from guilty parties. San Diego County and all city governments in the region are members of the program. Graffiti Tracker has analyzed nearly 2.8 million photos of vandalism, resulting in 2,721 arrests and more than $4.8 million in restitution fines being levied.
“Vandals need to understand that we have the tools to catch them and make them pay,” said Paul Jablonski, chief executive officer of MTS in a press release. “Vandals cause more than 1 million dollars' worth of damage each year to the trolley system alone. We hope Graffiti Tracker helps us substantially reduce that amount by successfully prosecuting vandals.”
The youth sentenced today used spray paint, permanent markers, and glass-etching tools to damage MTS property in at least 20 locations. The software is designed to compare graffiti from across the county to determine how many marks have been placed by a given individual.