WA leaders announce 17 charged for $100K worth of graffiti vandalism

SEATTLE - Businesses damaged, metro buses damaged, parts of I-5 damaged — and it all stems from graffiti vandalism.

On Thursday, King County leaders held a news conference to hold those behind this vandalism accountable. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office announced they filed 34 vandalism charges against 17 people.

The charges come after a months-long collaborative effort between the prosecuting attorney’s office, Seattle Police, the City Attorney’s office and Washington State Patrol and other agencies.

"Their acts of graffiti are illegal vandalism," King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said.

The 17 individuals arrested are accused of causing $100,000 worth of damage to buildings, buses, light rail, traffic signs, and the I-5 corridor.

"While graffiti might seem like a minor nuisance to some folks, for the business and property owner, it is a rapidly growing and extremely frustrating and expensive problem," said SODO BIA Executive Director Erin Goodman.

It’s personal for Tom Graff, who lives and works in Belltown and is the chair of Belltown United.

"How would you feel if your garage door was spray painted with a tagger[…] how would you feel to drop off your child to a school that has its front door covered with a graffiti image? You would not take your child there," Graff said. "We expect people who live and work in downtown to put up with it, and it is unacceptable, and it has to stop."

This damage adds up. "Just in the city of Seattle alone, it costs taxpayers more than $6 million a year for graffiti removal," Manion said.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the city has seen this problem increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Last year, our graffiti abatement teams did removal work at 23,117 locations covering over 27,000 assets-these are signs, light poles, these are retaining walls," said Harrell.

City and county leaders also stressed that this is not a victimless crime, which is why they’re seeking restitution so that these individuals will pay for the damage they’ve caused.

"Enough is enough," says Goodman.

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