Police focus on 'uncommon' offending

A series of tags scrawled on rocks at the entrance to Ophir. Photo by Jono Edwards.
A series of tags scrawled on rocks at the entrance to Ophir. Photo by Jono Edwards.
Recent tagging near Ophir and on an Alexandra church has Central Otago police trying to stamp out the ''very uncommon'' offending.

Seven spray-painted tags were also spotted on rocks at the entrance to Ophir last week.

Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, of Alexandra, said graffiti was ''very uncommon in the region''.

''Especially in a small area like Ophir.''

The culprit had not been caught and it was important for residents to report any information, he said.

''I imagine someone there will have a good idea who it is.''

It usually fell on property owners to clean tags, or ratepayers if it was council land, he said.

St Enoch's Church at Alexandra was also tagged the Saturday before last.

Other than that, it had occurred ''here and there'' in the region, he said.

''We usually catch them very quickly. Sometimes the family will send the child back and make them clean it up and apologise.

''It's certainly unusual to have two in such a short space of time.''

Ophir resident and Central Otago district councillor Malcolm Topliss said the village was ''pretty upset'' at the graffiti.

He could not imagine who could have done it, but hoped it was a traveller passing through.

Mr Topliss sent pictures of the tags to the council and they would be removed by council contractor Fulton Hogan.

Alexandra-Clyde-Lauder Union parish minister Andrew Howley said the tag on St Enoch's Church, which had since been cleaned, said ''Satan lives'', which was ''upsetting for a few people''.

''The Anglican church in town was tagged about 18 months ago along the same lines.''

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

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