Raise the Hammer

Not sure if anyone is still reading this thread but I had just one more thought to add...

I recently noticed the latest ad campaign the city is running to deal with the graffiti problem. The posters basically say that if you see someone tagging a building you should call 911 immediately.

I hadn't really given it much thought until tonight when I had to call 911 for an actual emergency. (Fyi, everyone's fine, thanks to the amazing work of the responding firemen, paramedics, the St. Joe's doctors and nurses and the 911 operators.) After fumbling my cell phone out of my pocket and dialling 911, it took 6 or 7 rings before I even got through and even then it was a recording telling me to stand by. Maybe 20 or 30 seconds after that I finally got transfered to a live person who could assist me. The whole ordeal took a good 2-3 minutes that may not sound like a long time but believe me it felt plenty long and for some emergencies that could mean the difference between life and death.

Now I know that its highly unlikely that a rash of graffiti related calls to 911 is what caused my delay, but it got me thinking; aren't our police and 911 operators busy enough as it is without also having to deal with an irate property owner watching a wannabe thug tag a wall? Since when did graffiti rank up there with house fires, robberies and heart attacks? Everyone has a camera these days, if you see someone tagging your property then just record them and turn the tape/digital files over to the police. Let them investigate and apprehend the taggers. Graffiti endangers no one and is at worst just an eyesore, it in no way qualifies as an emergency and should never be treated as one.

I'd really like to find out who authorized those posters and ask him why he/she thinks graffiti is a life or death matter.

Maybe I should call 911 and ask...