Electric fences keep taggers at bay

MICHAEL PARKS/Manukau Courier

SHOCK FACTOR: Mark Harrison says increasing numbers of Manukau businesses are installing electric fences to combat tagging.

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Taggers could soon be in for a shocking experience.

More and more Manukau businesses are installing electric security fences to prevent graffiti.

Manurewa-based Electric Security Fencing has seen a big jump in demand for its fences over the last year.

Managing director Mark Harrison says the Manukau City Council and Manukau Beautification Trust do a fantastic job of clearing graffiti but "the problem is chronic and getting worse".

Graffiti vandalism is affecting many businesses.

"We are installing fences for businesses from distribution to food to electronics to car yards to retail stores to dairies," he says.

"In just one break-in at a transport company this month 17 vehicles were extensively defaced, causing around $10,000 damage.

"Businesses just can’t afford to be hurt like that."

A spokeswoman from Clendon New World says the supermarket’s back storage area has an electric fence which means it escapes tagging because "they can’t get in".

But the store’s front entrance in the mall still gets tagged.

"They even climb the roof and tag the air conditioning."

And vandals also tag the trolleys, she says.

"We’ve had one set of trolleys for two weeks and they’ve already tagged the handlebars. They’ll tag anything."

Mr Harrison says 10,000 volts pulse through the electric fences every second but they won’t physically harm anyone.

"If you touch the wire you’ll get enough of a shock to throw you backwards and it will hurt," says Mr Harrison.

When the system detects a sudden loss of voltage it sets off alarms and alerts the security company and police.

He supports new graffiti legislation but says without education and severe penalties the trend of tagging will continue.

"Vandals need to reap what they sow," he says.

- Hannah Norton is a Fairfax Media journalism intern. Michael Parks is a Unitec photography student.

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