Kent Police arrested two Kent men for investigation of malicious mischief in connection with prolific graffiti tagging in the downtown area.
An officer received information on Jan. 31 about taggers vandalizing downtown, according to a Kent Police media release. The officer determined the individuals used the markings of “SC OGS X13” or a variation of it.
Police initially were unable to find the suspects, but officers during their investigation spotted two men in their early 20s who were identified as the possible suspects. Officers arrested the men and booked them into the city jail.
Police are working with property owners to remove the graffiti and restore property to its original appearance.
“These arrests are a great example of the priority that our police department places on protecting the quality of life in our community,” said Cmdr. Jarod Kasner. “Chief Ken Thomas has made it clear that graffiti vandalism will not be tolerated in Kent and we will continue to make enforcement of property vandalism crimes and removal of graffiti a high priority.”
Since 2008, police have worked with other city departments to develop an aggressive graffiti prevention program. It includes a graffiti hotline (253-856-GRAF) for reporting damage or to provide tips about taggers, a community response team to help clean up the graffiti and enhanced penalties of up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine for people caught tagging.
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