On Sunday, May 25, Hoquiam Police Department officers investigated two vandalism complaints on both city and private property.

A building and a vehicle were “tagged” with spray paint in the 200 block of 4th Street. It was later discovered that a bathroom, an outbuilding and the sidewalk at Art Pocklington Central Play Park were spray painted as well. Both locations were painted with the same color paint and in a similar style.

Hoquiam Police Department Crime Watch has been monitoring and documenting an uptick in gang style graffiti vandalism incidents throughout the city. Neighboring jurisdictions have also seen a rise in tagging.

On Monday, May 26 Officers Figg, Atwood and Deason contacted two juveniles on an unrelated incident and recognized them from the surveillance video of the actual tagging. They were identified and their guardians were contacted.

Charges were later forwarded to the prosecutors office for charging of third-degree malicious mischief.

If you witness anyone in the act of tagging a location the department asks you call the non-emergency line at dispatch — 360-533-8765.