Local shop owners Ana Richardson (left) from Ellagant Pooches and Anne from GameTraders are furious after the wall in Manhattan Arcade outside their shops was once again spray painted with graffiti.By Sarah Schwager
PAKENHAM shops were targeted with graffiti on the weekend, prompting frustrated shop owners to call for action.
Pakenham police were called to Main Street on Saturday morning after shop owners arrived to find their windows, signs and walls covered in silver spray paint.
Beauty salon Polished Perfection was the worst hit, with owner Melissa Grimsted annoyed and baffled by the writing that covered her window.
Vandals had written “Advanced Hair wave f*** cop” across the front window.
Ms Grimsted said she had been frustrated but also embarrassed by the incident.
“There were lots of people walking past and lots of kids as well,” she said.
“It’s a bit detrimental to the business, and not just to me – it makes the whole street look bad.”
Ms Grimsted said there had to be something else in place to keep the local youths entertained.
“Kids don’t have anything to do at night,” she said.
“It’s that and a lack of respect.”
Also targeted on Friday night was Manhattan Arcade off Main Street.
Gypsy Lane owner Ann Dickson said she would have to replace the store’s sign after it was covered in graffiti, as graffiti remover could eat away at the writing.
“They need something for the kids to keep them entertained,” she said.
“They just get bored. Pakenham is getting bigger and bigger. It is not the small town it used to be.”
Ms Dickson said local graffiti artists were more than welcome to come and paint a mural on the wall, such as a unicorn, rather than tags.
Ellagant Pooches owner Ana Richardson, whose shop is also in Manhattan Arcade, said it was not the first act of vandalism in the arcade.
She said the wall was constantly being repainted and there were even a couple of windows smashed at the shop.
Other shops down Main Street repeatedly targeted by graffitists include Ritchies Supermarket, Mitre 10, Gerard Collins Real Estate and GameTraders.
GameTraders owner Anne, who asked that her surname be withheld, said her shop had been targeted several times, including on Friday, and graffiti had even been etched into the glass.
Anne said the council should employ someone to remove the graffiti, as did the City of Casey.
“The best way to combat graffiti is to remove it as soon as they do it,” she said.
“We need to get the message across that they are wasting their time.
“But I don’t think it should be at our expense to remove it.”
The council will remove any graffiti on shireowned buildings and encourage private landholders to take similar action.
Timelines for removal are set at 24 hours for offensive graffiti and five days for all other graffiti.
Cardinia Shire governance and communications manager Doug Evans said graffiti was an issue in every municipality, but did not seem to be as major an issue in Cardinia.
“As the population increases it may become more prevalent but, we hope not,” he said.
Mr Evans said the council worked closely with police and always reported incidents of graffiti to police to help them identify the taggers.
