The Washoe County Sheriff's Office says investigators are seeing an increase in graffiti reports south from Incline Village, north to Highland Ranch.
“In the last month our graffiti caseload has grown – and those are just the reported cases,” Sheriff Darin Balaam said. “Tagging on buildings and in neighborhoods tends to increase during the summer and that is why it is so important for members of our community to report graffiti to us right now. Removing graffiti is a priority for the Sheriff’s Office because defacing places in our community is unsightly and has a negative effect on everyone.”
Authorities say graffiti is the number one property crime in Northern Nevada and can greatly affect property values. It is estimated that up to $25,000 can be reduced from the appraised value of a home when there is visible graffiti in the area.
People can report graffiti on the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office free mobile app. Users can upload a picture of the graffiti which will be sent (along with the GPS coordinates) to the Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Reno Police arrested a man they say caused over $25,000 in graffiti damage.
Police say 38-year-old Tyler Mathers was booked into the Washoe County Jail on 210 charges on June 19th.
Police say most of the graffiti was found in the Wells Avenue/ Ryland Street area, but was seen as far as Stead. They said delivery vehicles for local businesses were a favorite target of the suspect in addition to other private property.
All graffiti was cleaned or painted over by the Graffiti Enforcement Team.
Residents can also call Reno Direct at (775) 334-2099 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900. Your tip will remain anonymous.
