Police are reporting a spike in illegal graffiti but say a legal street art wall may help distinguish the artists from the vandals. 

Constable Gabrielle Swanborough said about three new tags had been appearing regularly over recent weeks. 

“Over the past week, each night there has been a new location which has been bombarded by graffiti – it’s been quite constant," Constable Swanborough said. “They’ve been hitting vacant walls doing the same tags over and over again, big ones and little ones...it’s not pictures or anything like that, just the same tags.”

Constable Swanborough said while the law didn’t make a distinction between illegal graffiti, a proposed legal street art wall would allow for creative artists to express themselves. However, she remained skeptical whether it would do anything to curb the type of tags which had surged in recent weeks.

“I would hope it would help, and for the people creating art it would give them somewhere to go and be creative,” she said. “But we are talking about two different types of people here.

“The people behind this recent graffiti...I don’t know what their motivation is.

“But it’s not art, there is no street art vibe to it at all, they are very much just doing it for sake of it and not in any artful way.”

Youth volunteer Thomas Prince was more blunt in his assessment of those behind the recent graffiti surge. 

“They’re a bunch of hacks really,” Mr Prince said. 

“In the car park across the road from where I work there were 10 pieces of the same word over and over – artistically they are terrible, actually they are not into trying to be artists at all, they are purely doing it to vandalise and to get attention.” 

The 26-year-old, who has worked in the CBD for the last nine years and volunteered for a number of youth programs, said a legal street art wall would not be a silver bullet for wanton vandalism. 

“I think a graffiti wall is a great idea, it gives people the chance to express themselves,” Mr Prince said. “But one thing that needs be noted is that [legal] graffiti walls will not fix vandalism, it will provide a space for graffiti artists but not for vandalists.” 

Mr Prince called on the community to stand up and for an increased police presence in areas such as the Coles car park, known “anti-social” hot spots. But he said authorities and law enforcement needed to reach out those causing trouble. 

“The minute you get some of these people involved – that’s when change will happen,” Mr Prince said. “If you don’t involve people you have a concern with in the solution, then you’re never going to find the solution.” 

Bendigo Police are urging anyone with information to ring 5448 1300 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.