New CCTV cameras on The Level have helped catch dozens of taggers this year – more than double as many as last year.
Brighton and Hove City Council installed the new cameras at the city centre park in April, alongside improved lighting, in a bid to combat graffiti and other antisocial behaviour.
This week, the council said it had issued 25 fines for graffiti so far in 2023 – a 150% rise on 2022’s 10 fines and more than six times the four fines issued in 2021.
From Friday, taggers also now face increased fines up from £150 to £500 – although persistent offenders are now being given conditional cautions requiring them to help scrub off graffiti.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Graffiti | 6 | 4 | 10 | 25 |
| Fly-tipping | 603 | 1122 | 686 | 713 |
| Littering | 858 | 1153 | 866 | 455 |
| Flyposting | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
In November, the following increases for environmental offences were approved:
- Graffiti tagging from £150 to £500
- Fly-tipping from £400 to £1000
- Littering from £150 to £300
- Flyposting from £150 to £500
The new cameras at The Level were put on 6m high columns behind the pavilion buildings so they can cover the whole park, and were installed alongside additional lighting.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, Chair of the City Environment, South Downs and The Sea Committee, said: “Graffiti is a blight on the city, and we need to get on top of the problem.
“Our environmental enforcement team are working closely with Sussex Police to identify the perpetrators and prosecute whenever we can.
“We’re now sending tagging offenders out to immediately repair the damage they’ve caused when they’ve been caught, and we’re starting to see some positive results of this.
“We’d love to hear from residents and businesses how we might continue to tackle graffiti tagging. You can share your views by clicking here.
They should pay the full cost of repairs, no exceptions
It’s a bit of a lean punishment, just repairing the damage they’ve done. I’d get them to repair some of the other tags and graffiti as well. Perhaps that’s a bit mean of me.
It’s a little bit mean of you, I’m of the opinion that if you fix the thing you damaged, then that’s reasonable. If you keep doing it, yeah, you get to do more!
So 25 x 150 max so average would be nearer 100 = £2500 if everyone pays.
Remind me what the lighting and cameras cost to purchase install monitor and maintain?
So your solution would be?
They just do it again.so whats the point.
Cameras were paid by fines
I THINK SPECIALLY SELECTED ARMY TYPES SHOULD DRIVE ROUND IN BLACK UNMARKED VANS DURING THE Nighttime HOURS WHEN THESE WORKSHY TOSSERS WHO DON’T HAVE TO GET UP FOR WORK ARE MORE ACTIVE , BUNDLE THEM IN THE VAN THEN DUFF THEM UP
Don’t think that’s quite the answer, the old bill should be looking for predators who seem to walk the streets of Brighton at night,
Ain’t being funny but have been aggressively approached by gay men many times in Brighton at night, I ain’t even good looking, graffiti is the least of the night time problems in our city, grow up.
Davey mate ,I really don’t believe you’ve been approached by anyone male or female…sounds like you might have secret fantasies or desires…pls advise..
Mate, no lie, maybe its the way I walk, lol
Stop wearing chaps with rear cut out
Or the exceptionally tight jeans.
Since tags are usually fairly distinctive it shouldn’t be too hard to tie a person to each piece of vandalism they have committed & ten they should be made to clean off everything they’ve done at a bare minimum.
That is the proposal here.
It’s The Level… where the council built a skatepark! Kids should be allowed to graffiti that space. Honestly, who is it hurting?
Give them space to express themselves and we would prevent so much vandalism. An area of the park would be great, but instead the fines are for graffiti over a disused cafe and set of toilets, from the looks of it! Pointless.
They should fine them when they damage private property, but instead they fine shops for not removing the tags!! Totally backwards system.
I was thinking that, put up a few graffiti walls, just say nothing offensive. The Level is quite famous within the skateboarding community I’ve recently learnt. It’d be nice to see what they’d like to see to the space – there’s always room for improvements.
Who are they to judge that graffiti is a “blight”? it is a beautiful expression against cold brutalist architecture. Tags need space to develop…