The Prince George RCMP are requesting assistance from the public to identify a prolific ‘tagger’ who, police say, is responsible for more than 100 acts of vandalism.
Since the beginning of July 2014, the Prince George RCMP have logged more than 200 locations and recorded more than 1,200 images of graffiti vandalism within the city. Of those, approximately 50 locations and 120 images are directly associated to a suspect that goes by the tag FAKS. Police are confident that the damage done by this suspect stretches far past the incidents that have been located and recorded.
Graffiti vandalism is not a victimless crime, say police. Causing any damage to any property that does not belong to you, is considered mischief in the Criminal Code of Canada. Police estimate the extent of the damage FAKS is directly responsible for would be upwards of $100,000 including supplies and labour to remove or cover the paint.
They say FAKS is likely a male between the age of 15 and 30 years old. FAKS will often use the cover of darkness in the early hours of the morning to help shield him from detection. He would be out most of the night, has multiple spray cans in a backpack and would most likely have paint on his hands. He seldom goes out to commit these acts alone.
Investigators are asking anyone with information on the identity of FAKS to come forward and provide information to police. The board of directors for the Prince George Crime Stopper Society has assured police they will give special award consideration to those persons that provide information that leads to an arrest.
Additionally, the Prince George RCMP would like to ask all those persons out at night to keep an eye out for suspicious persons and report them immediately to police. Taxi drivers, security personnel, paramedics, truck drivers and anyone else that work in the early hours of the day.
If you have any information about the identity of FAKS or other graffiti vandals, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-8477, online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only), or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword “pgtips”. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.