Cedar Park launches graffiti reporting tool

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- A new way to report incidences of graffiti is available to Cedar Park residents online. 

Simply log onto the City of Cedar Park Web site and click on the "Report Graffiti Here" box, which takes you to a page with directions on how to report Graffiti, as well as answering several frequently asked questions. 

If you have an incident you would like to report, simply fill out the online submission form on that page, and your notification will be directly routed to the police department for investigation.  

"We are hoping that this Web site will encourage residents to make prompt notification of this crime to the police," said police chief Henry Fluck.   

Fluck said the objective of a timely police report is to enable to police department to initiate a criminal investigation shortly after the incident occurs to increase the chances of solving the crime, identifying the suspect and apprehending the offender. 

It will also help the police department in effectively directing police patrols and improve the quality of life in Cedar Park neighborhoods by quickly removing graffiti.

Graffiti is the most common type of property vandalism, 35 percent, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. 

Since January 2008, there have been 33 cases of graffiti reported.    

The punishment for vandalism ranges from a class B misdemeanor to a first-degree felony, depending on the amount of monetary loss suffered by the owner. 

If found guilty of the charges, a person could face a fine up to $2,000 and/or confinement in jail up to 180 days for the class B misdemeanor. Meanwhile, a first-degree felony may mean life imprisonment and/or a fine up to $10,000.