It seems as though these comments have been seen as an attack on Otis Frizzell or the cops. This is not so. I do believe Otis Frizzell is an artist but in the case of this spray it is not art. It is just as much art as a billboard or poster from fast food restaurant telling the world of a new burger. If Banksy were to glue up an advertising poster, is that art? If a famous painter picks up his brush and paints his house, is that art? Look up the definition of propaganda and you will see what we have here. Also the main point has been missed here. This recruitment campaign is exploiting the emotions of the people who have been affected by the earthquake. Yes the cops did do a great job that day but so did plenty of others whos job is not to help. They were just being human. What was done to this spray is not at all vandalism or defacement as it was not an act of destruction. Someone was trying to send a message. If I interpret it correctly it now sends a message of inspiration to the people to help others in such times. Rather than "look at us helping, join the cops". How about some recognition for the majority of those who stayed in the city to help.

Great call by Odis!

I'm pretty sure about 10% of people in town when the earthquake hit stayed to help and the other 80% fled, and im also pretty sure that 100% of police officers in town stayed to help. They are trained to do it and the face times that are just as testing on a weekly basis.

I think they deserve to be commended for what they did, and i agree with Otis that the ads may attract that 10% of people who did stay and help to become a cop, and im sure those types of people would be damn good ones.

So... Guess I should clear a few things up, Yes? Of course it's Art. Sure it's applied art... But just because an image occurs in an advertising capacity doesn't automatically make it 'not art'. Illustrators are artists. I consider myself an artist... Not a 'street artist', just an artist. There are so many Banksy specialists out there... Listen to you all. What a load of bollocks. Banksy didn't invent stencils, but as he's the most famous stencil artist he's your only point of reference. There were police stencils in downtown Auckland when I was catching the bus to highschool... in 1987. Maybe Banksy was in New Zealand back then... Maybe me and him are influenced by the same people...OOhhh. Banksy has done amazing work, and I think he's briliant, but he doesn't own stencils. My brief for this campaign was to create stencils in a banksy style, so if you think they looks Banksy-ish, Thanks. They're supposed to. To be honest, I was expecting them to be defaced. Am I happy about it? Not really. I spent a lot of time on those stencils, and was happy with the result, but I have to be pragmatic about the whole thing. Whatever happens happens. They are on the street, and that's what happens. They've been photographed and the media will follow... I mentioned this in the previous story but it bares repeating. This was a job for me. I got paid. It's what I do for a living. I have a mortgage. I liked the brief and thought maybe a campaign like this would inspire a potentially new kind of cop. Not a power tripping hot head, but perhaps a considerate community minded person. I still maintain that the more cool cops the better... It certainly got people talking....

For all of you who say "the artists work should be respected" well this was never art in the first place. This is no more than a recruitment campaign commissioned by the police. Advertising using "street art" shows the target audience of this propaganda effort is those who may be rather emotional due to events of the earthquake. One can see in the photo that the word "police" has been replaced with "human" I believe this says it is human nature to help as opposed to police doing their job. By calling this vandalism one shows they have not taken the time to look at what someone is actually trying to say here.

It has been said that this is a rip off of Banksy. Otis Frizzell (or the cop that came up with the idea) has ripped off Banksy in style and medium but that is it. Banksy works outside the law to make a political statement or critiquing the actions of the police. Banksy would never accept a commission by the police. Whoever has painted over this advertisement is more of an artist than Otis Frizzell. This which was just an ad is now the closest to art and Banksy it will ever be.

Think before you write.

The fact of the matter is the police are exploiting real life events and real peoples feelings and grief to advertise for new cops. Besides that, the artwork is a Banksy rip-off.

@Leon H # 12 That is the point. If the police didn't do it, other would have, and did. There were many people from all walks of life who banded together, not just the uniformed

I still see the 'artwork' as nothing more than a recruiting campaign, preying on others' misfortunes.

Dear Chris #8 On the day of the quake like alot of other people I was in town and ended up at the Ctv building for 6 n half hours-we saved some but also retrieved others-I don't care that the artist has created art work to encourage people to sign up to become a cop, what really makes me angry though is that people think they have to have their say by scribling over the other artists work......Think about it, without the constable who would have done the hard job he had to do?

(".......we would have hoped Otis Frizzell's artwork would be respected"). And that is just the point. Contrary to some of the posts on this issue these people who deface property have no respect. It isn't about putting your message out there, it's just about your selfish attitude. There is only one way to deal with taggers......

Whatever your view on it being vandalism or art, something no one will be able to argue with is the fact that the person who added paint to the original work has no talent. It looks like a kid's drawing - no style, and no artistic merit.

At least the original piece was ART.

This is what street art is all about,It uses one persons message to create a new message..the new message actualy holds more weight to me than the original..& I'd be surprised if Otis had any ill will toward the overpaint.