PTA’s ‘Operation Cleanskin’ cleans up
The Public Transport Authority’s Operation Cleanskin has recorded a 75 per cent reduction in the cost of train graffiti damage and removal across Perth’s suburban rail network.
News of the initiative was released at RailSafe 2010, a two-day national rail safety conference hosted by the PTA this week.
Operation Cleanskin is a targeted PTA strategy aimed at detecting when graffiti and scratching occurs inside train carriages, identifying offenders, and passing the details on to police for action. The Cleanskin concept was proven after being introduced on Transperth buses several years ago.
Since March this year when the PTA expanded Operation Cleanskin to trains, 237 offender files have been compiled by the PTA and forwarded to the Police Transport Division.
Through the quality of the evidence supplied, including the PTA’s high-resolution CCTV security pictures, 144 charges have been laid against alleged offenders.
“The success of Operation Cleanskin proves to graffiti vandals on our trains that we are watching them, their actions are recorded and they will be caught,” Steve Furmedge, PTA Security Services Manager said today.
“Graffiti costs the PTA – and, in turn, the WA taxpayer – $2.8 million a year across our transport system. Cleanskin has dramatically reduced the cost impact on rail.”
“In just eight months, the number of hours spent on clean-up has dropped by about 75 per cent.”
The PTA’s Operation Cleanskin teams conduct daily train checks, locate and photograph any damage then download the relevant CCTV images to see how and when the offence occurred.
Still images of the offender are taken and forwarded to police for further investigation.
“Even at this early stage, the results are outstanding,” Mr Furmedge said.
Of the files passed over to the police, 19 juveniles and 13 adults are still to be identified. The PTA and police are currently trying to track them down for vandalising trains on the Mandurah and Clarkson lines between March and November.
“The high quality of the images of these people is a testament to the excellence of our security system and the PTA’s intention to track down each and every train graffiti vandal,” Mr Furmedge said.
Anyone with information should ring Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.