(The Center Square) – Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison is taking legal action against three prominent graffiti taggers she alleges are responsible for thousands of dollars in damage to property throughout the city.
On Tuesday, the City Attorney’s Office filed three civil cases under the city’s new graffiti ordinance. Davison is seeking about $40,000 in civil penalties and restitution from the three defendants who use the names “ALURE,” “LABRAT,” and “NOMAS.” Abatement costs are expected to be in the tens of thousands of dollars, according to the office.
The complaint includes 25 violations committed by the three taggers, who the Seattle Police Department identified as extremely prolific throughout Seattle.
“My message is simple: If you vandalize the Emerald City, you will pay – these three lawsuits filed today are just the beginning,” Davison said in a statement. “We fully intend to aggressively enforce this new law against taggers and expect to file more cases in the near future.”
The city has been cracking down on illegal graffiti due to the high costs associated with cleaning it up. Davison’s office previously reported 28,816 instances of graffiti vandalism in Seattle in 2024 that resulted in the city spending approximately $6 million annually on graffiti cleanup.
In July, the Seattle City Council approved Council Bill 120995, which set fines at a maximum of $1,500 per graffiti violation. In addition to civil penalties and restitution, the ordinance also includes measures to allow the city to seek penalties for up to three years retroactively. The ordinance went into effect in August.
Due to Seattle’s $20.76 minimum wage, violators may convert the $1,500 fine to approximately 75 hours of community service instead, if they are able to show financial hardship.