MEMPHIS, TN - Shelby County Commissioners are looking to tag taggers by beefing up an anti-graffiti ordinance that would restrict who can buy spray paint.
Currently, minors are prohibited from buying spray paint and other graffiti tools in Memphis city limits. The commission's ordinance would make that restriction county-wide.
"Once we looked into it," says Jeff Sullivan with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, "we realized this is something we could wrap our arms around and take ownership of in the county. We realized that this is a problem we should really look into correcting as other major cities across the country did in the 1980's."
The ordinance would also call on business owners to increase surveillance of the spray paint aisle, and post signs warning about the dangers of graffiti.
The Shelby County Commission is set to vote for a third and final time on the 6-page anti-graffiti ordinance on Monday, July 11th, 2011.
