They can spray-paint but they can't hide, thanks to new technology that has just been expanded to another city in San Diego County, according to a published report.
Graffiti Tracker works in conjunction with a GPS-enabled camera, according to the North County Times. Public works and code enforcement crews charged with painting over graffiti first snap a picture, which is then wirelessly uploaded to Graffiti Tracker's server, along with data on the time, date and exact place the graffiti was recorded. Graffiti Tracker analysts decipher the painted or penned scrawl in the photos.
MyLocalNews.com, which is an online consortium of several San Diego suburban communities' newspapers, reported that law-enforcement officials in Poway are now using Graffiti Tracker, which is being used to nab taggers in other North County communities as well.
"The photo shows the vandal's style and compares it to similar incidents and where they occurred," Cpl. Rhonda Fortson at the Poway sheriff's station told MyLocalNews.com.
Earlier this year, county sheriff's department Cmdr. Ed Prendergast told the Times that his department's $84,000 contract with Los Angeles-based Graffiti Tracker would allow deputies to access the program, which tracks every instance of graffiti in an area.
The program is also being used in the department's contract cities -- including Vista, San Marcos and Encinitas -- and unincorporated areas. Escondido has subscribed to Graffiti Tracker since the middle of 2006; Oceanside is also a subscriber.
